Making Healthy Eating Part of a Healthier Future

The Paso del Norte Health Foundation is refreshing its Healthy Eating initiative with a stronger focus on nutrition-related disease prevention and management. The strategy will use regional data and partner learning to guide coordinated action, capacity building, workforce development, and program improvement through 2030.

Nutrition-related health conditions affect many people across the Paso del Norte region. Diabetes affects 12.9% of adults in Doña Ana County, 15.3% in El Paso County, and 17.4% in Hudspeth County. Hypertension, or high blood pressure, affects about one-third of adults, ranging from 31.4% in Doña Ana County to 37.7% in Hudspeth County. More than one-third of adults live with obesity, with rates ranging from 34.4% in El Paso County, 37.5% in Doña Ana County, and 41.1% in Hudspeth County.

These aren’t just percentages. They represent the people in our community – family members, neighbors, and colleagues – who face health challenges that can be prevented or managed with the right support and resources. Through its revamped Healthy Eating initiative, the PdNHF aims to partner with and invest in organizations that help people prevent and manage conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity, through effective nutrition programs. By working together, we can also help address other nutrition-related health concerns, including high triglyceride levels, chronic kidney disease, and certain nutrition-related cancers.

For years, the PdNHF has supported healthy eating efforts through community-based programs, nutrition education, school- and family-focused strategies, and partnerships that increased access to information, skills, and healthier choices.

As this next phase takes shape, the PdNHF will build on the experience we have gained to implement a more focused strategy that positions healthy eating as a tool for disease prevention and management. This work will include strengthening partnerships, building organizational capacity, supporting workforce development, and improving programs to better meet the needs of our communities.

To view the new Healthy Eating strategic plan approved by the PdNHF Board of Directors, click here.