What do you do when your community is home to the highest percentage of diabetes, stroke, and heart disease?

For residents of Watts, one of the best-known neighborhoods in Los Angeles, the answer was a twist on an old idea: the farmers’market. With support from Kaiser Permanente, the weekly market brings healthy produce — and healthy eating habits — to the neighborhood.

“What we thought we would bring with this market was not only fresh fruits and vegetables, but also a way to bring health-related information and also to get people thinking healthier,” explains Joanne Robinson, executive director of the Kaiser Permanente Watts Counseling and Learning Center. The market also has the support of LA County.

Says Maxine Liggins, area medical director, South Los Angeles, County of Los Angeles Department of Public Health: “We want to help them to see the value in investing in fresh good food that’s well-prepared and prepared in a low-calorie manner.”

See how the farmers’ market in Watts offers fresh produce and food for thought about healthy living.

filed in: Thriving Communities
subjects: community-health, diabetes, heart-attack