An effort to reduce Mississippi’s troubling obesity and chronic disease rates, support local farmers, and incentivize folks to eat healthier is underway statewide.
Andy Gipson, the state’s GOP agriculture commissioner who recently announced a 2027 bid for governor, is using his “Make Mississippi Healthy Again” initiative to promote health and wellness practices in one of the nation’s unhealthiest states. Working in lockstep with President Donald Trump’s “Make America Healthy Again” executive order to curb chronic disease rates, especially among children, the Mississippi version will serve to utilize local food sources to help address healthcare issues.
The Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce plans to spotlight the state’s farmers and producers as “essential partners” in the mission to ensure residents have access to the healthiest, most abundant, and most affordable food possible.
“If you eat junk food, you’re going to have junky health. If you eat healthy, farm-raised food, you’re going to be healthier,” Gipson said on Mornings with Richard Cross. “Healthier food with a healthier lifestyle makes for healthier people, and that’s what we want to have. ‘Make Mississippi Healthy Again’ is about having a healthier Mississippi.”
Studies show that over 40% of Mississippi’s population is classified as obese. Healthcare experts have long warned that obesity is a gateway to more concerning health conditions, such as cardiovascular disease and stroke.
The intertwining of local agriculture and healthcare is anticipated to highlight the importance of supporting Mississippi-grown products, improving food security, and driving economic growth in rural communities. Currently, the first steps of Gipson’s plan for the initiative include getting local, farm-raised foods into school cafeterias and prisons statewide.
Gipson, who resides on a farm in Simpson County, boasts that he and his family have benefited greatly health-wise from cultivating and consuming what they grow. Hoping to lead by example, the state official is scheduled to take his campaign to all corners of Mississippi this summer.
“We live on our farm. We raise our family on our farm. We grow our own food, and we do it in a way that makes us a healthier family,” Gipson said. “We want to get that message out to everybody.”
More information on the “Make Mississippi Healthy Again” campaign can be found here.
