More than one in five Coloradans are considered obese, a chronic medical condition leading to serious health risks, and a new study links obesity to income inequality, low minimum wages, and lack of access to healthy foods.

Sophie Mariam, labor policy analyst for the Colorado Fiscal Institute, said many of the state's most vulnerable workers turn to low-cost, fast foods high in calories and fat because they cannot find or afford healthier alternatives.

"Lower-income communities and communities of color are more likely to live in food deserts, and more likely to make low wages," Mariam explained. "When folks make a higher minimum wage, they are more likely to have the income that they need to access healthier, more nutritious food for themselves and their families."

Researchers at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health said addressing obesity is not only about encouraging people to change their behavior. They said real change will require creating environments where healthy food choices are the easiest. It means giving workers bigger paychecks and improving food access in neighborhoods that are not seen as profitable for grocery chains.

Colorado's minimum wage, $14.42 an hour, is the ninth-highest in the nation and much higher than the federal minimum of $7.25. But to earn a living wage, a single adult without kids needs to earn at least $25 an hour.

Despite common stereotypes, Mariam pointed out most minimum-wage workers are not teenagers getting valuable work experience.

"A majority of people earning a minimum wage in Colorado are adults, over 24, who are financially supporting or providing for their family," Mariam emphasized. "It is really critical that these folks have wages that can allow them to be economically self-sufficient."

Colorado lawmakers recently removed barriers for municipalities across the state to increase their wage floor above the state minimum. Starting next year, Boulder raised its minimum wage to $15.57 an hour. However, it is still far below the city's estimated living wage of $26.36 for individuals.

Mariam hopes the study will be a wake-up call.
"Local elected officials should see research like this as evidence that we need to step up and ensure that minimum wages provide an adequate standard of living for all families across Colorado," Mariam urged.

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