Using 2011-2012 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) data and CHIS-driven Adult Health Profiles for 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009 and 2011-2012, authors found that one in 10 adults in the Bay Area struggles to consistently find three meals a day, and more than half of all adults are overweight or obese. In addition, residents in many of the region’s communities live in neighborhoods where fast food restaurants and convenience stores abound, while grocery stores are scarce or don’t exist at all. 

To meet the region's basic needs, improve public health, and enhance quality of life, Bay Area residents must have access to healthy food, and the authors recommend 12 actions that local governments can take to identify and address these issues in Bay Area communities.