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MINUTES-Draft <br />ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH <br /> November 29, 2017 <br />S:\Managers Working Files\BOH\Agenda & Abstracts\2017 Agenda & Abstracts/ November Page 2 <br />Motion was made by Paul Chelminski to approve the 2018 Board of Health schedule, <br />seconded by Mia Burroughs and carried without dissent. <br /> <br /> <br />V. Educational Sessions <br /> <br />A. Food Deserts/OC Food Council Collaboration <br /> <br />Molly De Marco, Research Assistant Professor, Department of Nutrition, Gillings School of <br />Public Health, and Marcie Ferris, Professor, American Studies Department, UCH-CH, presented <br />information on the OC Food Council (OCFC) including food deserts and insecurity. Below is a <br />brief summary of the information presented: <br /> <br />OC Food Council <br />o Goals <br />• Action plan development <br />• Outreach <br />• Reach successful models and policies <br />• Collaborate with other food councils <br /> <br />o Strategic Priority Areas <br />• Outreach to elected officials; creation of a local food economy. <br />• Increase new market, wholesale and institutional buying opportunities for low- <br />resource and farmers of color. <br />• Support diversity of food producers and business owners. <br /> <br />Food Deserts <br />o Defined as a section or zone that is classified as both low income and low access to <br />grocery stores as measured by different distance boundaries. <br />o Food access is defined as a household’s mean to procure an adequate amount of food <br />on a regular basis through a combination of purchases, barter, borrowings, food <br />assistance or gifts. <br />o Food swamp is where there are unhealthy foods that are far more accessible than <br />healthy foods. <br /> <br />Food Insecurity <br />o Defined as the inability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods, or the ability to acquire <br />such food, is limited or uncertain for a household. <br /> <br />o Measured yearly via questions on the U.S. Census <br /> <br />o Four levels of food insecurity <br />• High – no reported indications of food access problems/limitations <br />• Marginal – 1-2 reported indications – typically of anxiety over food sufficiency or <br />shortage of food in the house. Little or no indications of changes in diet or food <br />intake. <br />• Low – reports of reduced quality, variety or desirability of diet. Little or no <br />indications of reduced food intake. <br />• Very low – reports of multiple indications of disrupted eating patterns and <br />reduced food intake.