The University of Georgia received over $800,000 in funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to improve access to healthy foods and physical activity in Georgia counties with high obesity rates.
The project will distribute the funding between Burke, McDuffie, Sumter, Washington, and Rockdale counties. More than one-third of adults in Georgia are obese, according to a prevalence map from the CDC.
The funding will build on the success of the CDC’s High Obesity Program in Georgia which already serves Calhoun, Clay, Dooly, Stewart, and Taliaferro counties. Through the program, UGA faculty and community partners improved food options for nearly 69,000 people and expanded infrastructure to make it easier to exercise.