The American Heart Association recently has focused its attention on rural America. The simple fact is that rural areas, in particular the Appalachian region, have higher incidents of heart disease. This is due to many factors, including access to healthy foods, access to health care and other systemic barriers. This video allows you to take a look at one of these states in particular, the only state to be 100% in the Appalachian belt – West Virginia.
Through programs like “Check Change Control”, “Target: BP”, and “Simple Cooking with Heart” we are working to educate and inspire West Virginians to be aware of the dangers of hypertension and to learn that cooking and eating healthy can be easy and affordable. These programs are benefiting rural areas across the nation.
Take a look at West Virginia’s story. While no two rural communities are exactly alike, we know that many face the same problems. Together, we can work on finding solutions that allow for better health outcomes and ensure that one’s zip code doesn’t determine their quality of life.