On Jan. 21, Nicole Gatto, PhD, MPH, associate professor at Loma Linda University School of Public Health, received the 2014 Governor’s Environmental and Economic Leadership Award (GEELA) in the sustainable communities category. This award program is considered to be one of California’s highest environmental honors, according to the California Environment Protection Agency website.
With a background in cardiovascular disease and epidemiology, Gatto became aware of the alarming rate of obesity among children and adults in the United States. She also became aware of the obesity epidemic’s relationship to socioeconomic factors and access to healthy foods and green spaces in local environments.
With more fast food, convenience and liquor stores in Los Angeles than grocery stores, Gatto decided to dedicate her personal and professional life to addressing the issue of obesity. She has also been involved in creating four school gardens (through the Los Angeles Sprouts program) and six community gardens (Milagro Allegro Community Garden and the Little Green Fingers Collaborative) in underserved communities of the greater Los Angeles region.
These gardens provide the communities they serve with access to fresh fruits and vegetables of high quality, something that only 18 percent of the grocery stores in Los Angeles offer. By starting at the local level, Gatto has shown that healthy lifestyles go hand in hand with the surrounding environment.
“I am deeply encouraged by the increasing recognition of the importance of growing one’s own food for both promoting individual health as well as the health of our environment,” says Gatto.
The annual GEELAs recognize individuals, organizations and businesses that have demonstrated exceptional leadership and made notable, voluntary contributions in conserving California’s resources, protecting and enhancing the environment, building public-private partnerships, and strengthening California’s economy.