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Several U.S. cities are participating in efforts aimed at improving the nutritional content of foods sold in convenience stores, the New York Times reports. Convenience stores—which typically stock low-nutrition food items, such as chips, candy, soda and other convenience foods—are often considered by public health officials to be a contributor to the obesity epidemic. According to a study published last year in the American Journal of Epidemiology, individuals with no supermarket near their homes were as much as 46 percent less likely to maintain a healthy diet than those with more shopping options. Acknowledging that convenience stores often serve as a primary source for food for individuals living in underserved neighborhoods with limited access to large grocery stores, health officials began making efforts to improve the quality of foods sold in such stores. An initiative in Cleveland, for example, encourages small convenience stores to display fruit near the check-out and promotes these stores with sidewalk signs and posters and at neighborhood health events. Meanwhile, New York City's Healthy Bodegas initiative has helped to improve the quality of foods sold in approximately 1,000 stores through several efforts, including helping owners secure zoning permits to allow fruit and vegetable displays on the sidewalk. In Louisville, two small convenience stores were this year awarded $20,000 to expand their fresh produce offerings, while a program in Hartford, Conn., encourages store owners to replace 5 percent of their junk food and soft drinks each year with regular groceries in exchange for market research on what foods neighborhood residents would be most interested in purchasing. Beyond improving the nutritional offerings at convenience stores, several cities are also experimenting with efforts to attract larger grocery chains to underserved areas. Based on the success of a program in Philadelphia, New York City officials are considering altering zoning laws and providing tax incentives to encourage grocery stores to open outlets in underserved areas of the city. Although retailers were initially reluctant to stock healthier food options, citing fears of spoilage and concern that neighborhood residents would be unwilling to purchase the products, many have experienced success with stocking the items, and others say that they are proud to be doing their part to improve community health (Granville, New York Times, 10/31/09 [registration required]). (Editor's Note: The Food Trust, mentioned in the complete New York Times article, is an RWJF grantee.)