Manuela Ramirez of Thermal writes about why so many of her neighbors in the Eastern Coachella Valley live in fear.


“As a high-poverty area, the Eastern Coachella Valley is home to many people facing constant financial stress. Add in additional suffering from racism, incarceration, abuse and domestic violence, and it’s clear many people in the east valley are dealing with the hidden health consequences of trauma.

“Obesity and diabetes are just two areas where the east valley is less healthy than the west. These are complicated issues influenced by many factors, but it makes sense that life stress has some influence. Who can prioritize a healthy lifestyle when they are worried about so much else?”

Read the full column at The Desert Sun.