LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — If you're in need of affordable food options, the Southern Nevada Health District's Spring pop-up produce stand opened Tuesday, April 7 at the Bonneville Transit Center.
For the next few weeks, the stands will provide affordable fruits and vegetables to those who need them most.
I have the details of these produce stands and why they can be especially beneficial to members of our community:
Health District officials say food insecurity remains a challenge here in Southern Nevada, and these pop-up stands are just one of the ways SNHD is working to increase access to fresh produce, nutrition education and other health resources.
It's something the district says is crucial for many in our community, especially during National Minority Health Month.
"Minority populations in Southern Nevada face a range of health challenges," said Dr. Eric Lopez, an epidemiologist at SNHD. "In 2023, non-Hispanic Black adults had the greatest prevalence of hypertension and obesity across racial and ethnic groups at 41% and 39%, respectively. Hispanic adults had the highest prevalence of diabetes at 15%."
Lopez says a multitude of factors, including housing, education and socioeconomic status, all contribute to disparities when it comes to health and healthcare in our community.
Lower incomes can affect everything from reduced access to preventative care to health insurance coverage and potential complications with a variety of health challenges down the road.
"For things like chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes, there's a myriad of factors that go into this," Lopez said. "But one of the big ones is income and housing and the available resources we have where we live. For example, if we live in a neighborhood without a lot of grocery stores and what we have is a variety of fast food stores and liquor stores, then that's going to shape our consumption patterns.
"Additionally, if we live in an area that doesn't have a lot of parks, that's going to limit our chance for physical activity, so when you combine some of these factors, it really helps shape the profile of people's health in a given location."
I asked Dr. Lopez about how those who are potentially struggling can overcome some of these barriers to live a healthier lifestyle.
He said the best way is to educate the public and stay tuned to the programming and news from the Health District on the variety of ways they continue promoting health in the Valley, including through free health fairs and pop-up stands like the ones happening over the next four weeks.
The stands will be open every Tuesday through May 12 from noon to 3 p.m. For more information about other, affordable and healthy food options, as well as more education and resources to promote a healthier lifestyle, visit Clark County's website here.
