Hawaii often ranks among the healthiest states in the U.S., but you must look beyond those basic numbers to see that large health disparities exist among population groups in our state.

Many in Hawaii are affected by the high cost of living, especially for food and housing, which often leaves some families with challenging food choices. For those, the expense of healthy food options is beyond their daily means and contributes to those disparities. It is especially disturbing when those families have children.

Children and teens with uncertain or limited access to nutritional food options are more likely to have high blood pressure than those who have access to healthy food. Children with high blood pressure are at increased risk for having high blood pressure and heart disease as adults.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD), including heart disease and stroke, is the leading cause of death in the United States, producing an immense health and economic burden. An estimated 92.1 million U.S. adults are diagnosed with at least one type of CVD, and a projected 43.9% of U.S. adults will have some form of CVD by 2030.

One of the primary reasons for the continued high burden of CVD is the persistent and even increasing degrees of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and hypertension. Poor nutrition, including increased consumption of processed foods high in sodium, refined carbohydrates, and saturated fat, drives these major risk factors. Hawaii is not immune to these risks or problems.

Hawaii Foodbank is working to change the conversation. As part of its commitment to improve the health of our communities, Hawaii Foodbank is teaming with the American Heart Association to help educate and encourage food donors to select healthier options when making food donations and purchases.

Using healthy food drive guideline materials developed by Heart Association nutrition volunteers at the University of Hawaii, and approved by the association’s national science staff, we hope to not only contribute to the elimination of health disparities in the communities we serve, but also improve the nutrition of our broader population. Donors who become more focused on shopping for healthier food donations will likely also consider healthier food purchases for their own family.

The Heart Association’s Oahu Heart Walk on Saturday, Aug. 10, provides Oahu residents the opportunity to support its outstanding efforts to reduce heart disease and stroke in Hawaii, while also contributing a healthy food item to benefit Hawaii Foodbank’s clients.

We are proud of our collaboration with the American Heart Association to help to improve nutritional food access to Oahu’s underserved populations. Healthy food donation guidance can be found at the event’s registration site, www.OahuHeartWalk.org. I urge Heart Walk participants to consider bringing a healthy food donation to the event to help improve the health for those in need.

Ron Mizutani is president and CEO of Hawaii Foodbank.