HOLMES COUNTY MISSISSIPPI TOPS OBESITY RANKINGS WHILE CITIES IGNORE FOOD SYSTEM ECONOMICS
Holmes County, Mississippi holds the dubious distinction of being America’s fattest place, with obesity rates exceeding 50 percent of the adult population, revealing how local food systems directly impact economic development and quality of life in ways most cities refuse to acknowledge.
The county’s struggle with food access and health outcomes creates a vicious cycle: poor health leads to reduced workforce productivity, higher healthcare costs, and decreased business attraction, which further limits healthy food options and economic opportunities.
Government needs to stop treating food policy as a social issue and start recognizing it as core infrastructure. Communities with limited grocery stores, farmers markets, and healthy food options struggle to attract and retain the educated workforce that drives modern economic growth.
The data is clear: regions with better food access correlate with higher per capita incomes, lower healthcare costs, and more successful business recruitment. Yet most economic development strategies completely ignore food system infrastructure while spending millions on industrial parks and tax incentives.
Holmes County’s challenge should serve as a wake-up call for communities that think economic development and public health are separate policy areas.