CCBOH offers summer WIC Farmers Market. Above, Brooke Walker of North Georgia WIC and Tom Pinson of the Gaston Community Center where a WIC Farmers Market was held last month in Dalton.

An important determinant of overall health is access to fresh foods. A recent report published by the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) titled, "Fresh Food Versus Fast Food: A Look at Healthy Food Access in Metro Atlanta," finds that fast food locations in the metro area outnumber grocery stores three to one and that people who live near grocery stores and other places that sell fresh produce have a lower risk of obesity and other diet-related diseases. The reports also shows that in general, residents living along the Ga. Hwy. 400 corridor have the best access to grocery stores, while residents living in west Atlanta and south of Interstate 20 have the highest access to fast foods.

That's why the Clayton County Board of Health (CCBOH) is once again offering its summer WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) Farmers Market  Monday through Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. throughout the summer at the front entrance of the board's Jonesboro facility.  

   

  

Heat Exhaustion, Hot Cars and Overexposure to Sun Pose Significant Threats

During last week's dangerously high temperatures experienced throughout the state, the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) cautioned residents to avoid strenuous outdoor activity and/or prolonged exposure to the sun. In a news release published by print and broadcast news organizations, DPH's commissioner made the danger clear.

"More people die from heat than from any other weather-related event or natural disaster," said DPH Commissioner Brenda Fitzgerald, M.D. "We're sounding the alarm now and we're sounding it loudly."

In addition to news coverage around the state, the department directly warned about 30,000 subscribers of the Ready Georgia mobile app to "stay indoors and limit exposure to the sun." It was the first time DPH triggered a statewide public health alert within the app since the app launched last summer.

Poor air quality in north Georgia made the outdoor environment even more hazardous, especially for small children and the elderly, as well as those who work outdoors or those suffering from certain medical conditions. DPH encouraged residents to observe important safety guidelines throughout the period of extreme heat:
 

While studying abroad in India, Ashley Fell and a local friend, Hannah, attended a Hindu wedding outside of Bangalore, India. The wedding was a wonderful opportunity to experience a very unique part of Indian culture.

When Ashley Fell spent a semester abroad with a group of college classmates in Egypt, India, China, and South Korea, she had no idea this experience would eventually lead to the summer internship program at the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) in the epidemiology section.

"My studies abroad exposed me not only to exotic foods and rich cultures, but also the extreme disparities that exist in wealth, education, access to clean water and proper sanitation and healthcare," said Fell. "The stark contrasts of public health in the impoverished slums of Mumbai, India to masked faces in the immaculate subway trains of Hong Kong stuck with me."  

She had found her passion for public health and its approach to community-wide health solutions. Instead of treating an individual, Fell realized that through public health, particularly epidemiology, she would have an opportunity to impact and improve the lives of much larger communities.
 
 

Residents in the Rome area attempt to get a reprieve from the summer heat by hanging out at the Towne Greene public fountain.

The average high temperature in Georgia on the Fourth of July is 89 degrees. This year, most places were 10 degrees above normal, and even that felt cool compared to the temperatures witnessed during the previous week.

While many Georgia residents were embarking on holiday plans, public health officials were preparing for statewide response should that heat translate to a wide spread threat.

"We followed the recommendations from our emergency management agencies, and they got their information from NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) and ReadyGA.gov," said North Georgia Public Health District public information officer Jennifer King. "Our main message together to the public was to stay indoors as much as possible, drink plenty of fluids, especially water, and wear light clothes both in terms of color and texture."

There are many other considerations to keep in mind as well when the mercury soars well past 100. King says this includes checking on neighbors.