New Reports on Chronic Disease & Food and Nutrition Insecurity in New Orleans

Our partner, the New Orleans Health Department, has released two new 2024 reports:

• Making Groceries: Food and Nutrition Insecurity in New Orleans, Louisiana
• Chronic Disease in New Orleans

Read more about the release of these reports here: NOLA Newswire

Highlights:

• 13.6% of adults over 18 in Orleans have been diagnosed with diabetes, higher than the 11.3% national average.
• Up to 18% of observed patients have type 2 diabetes, 48% have hypertension, and 37% are obese.
• These health conditions, food insecurity, and structural barriers contributing to health inequities and food access, disproportionately affect communities of color.
• 21.6% of New Orleanians receive SNAP benefits.
• Only 65.3% of families who are income eligible for SNAP are enrolled in the program.
• 16.4% of people in Orleans Parish are food insecure.
• New Orleans has one of the highest rates of food insecurity among seniors of all metropolitan areas in the U.S.

The reports recommend supporting local food access organizations, incentivizing the sale of health foods, integrating food access into healthcare, enhancing direct food services, and investing in benefits like SNAP.