Talladega county receives obesity grant

Improving access to health care in a rural area with a high obesity rate is the goal of a $900,000 federal grant announced Monday in Talladega County.  The Sylacauga Alliance for Family Enhancement applied for the grant, which will provide $300,000 per year for three years for a program called Get Healthy Talladega County – Mind, Body and Spirit.  Not only did Talladega County receive the funding, but ultimately only 11 grants were funded nationwide.  In Talladega county of 82,291 residents 32.8 percent of the adult population is obese in a state (33%) that sadly ranks fifth in the nation for adult obesity and sixth in the nation for childhood obesity.”  The state is also fourth in the nation for the percent of adults with diabetes, and Talladega County ranks considerably higher than the state and nation in the rate of death from heart disease.  Officials said the new  program will attack health care access issues with a four-pronged approach: community and school wellness, transitions in care, the aging and disability community, and communication. Primary partners and community stakeholders include Coosa Valley Medical Center, Citizens Baptist Medical Center, Sylacauga City Schools, Talladega City Schools, Talladega County Schools, East Alabama Planning and Development Commission, SAFE, Auburn University Montgomery and the University of Alabama Birmingham.