A local group is working on boosting health, improving access to nutritious foods and targeting obesity in the 78745 ZIP code.

Go! Austin/Vamos! Austin, or GAVA, has developed a community action plan outlining specific goals, such as ensuring area students receive at least 135 minutes of physical education each week, supporting healthy improvements to school meals and providing at least a half hour of daily physical activity during after-school programs.

GAVA secured a commitment in August from the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation to fund implementation for a year.

"The problem of obesity acutely affects this neighborhood, 78745, and it really does have an impact on people's quality of life and their longevity of life," Community Programs Coordinator Alba Sereno said. "The statistics in this neighborhood are that one in three children will have diabetes by the time they're adults if we don't do something, and [that statistic increases to] one in two for Hispanic children."

"This is crucial that we do this now and that we [help] people have access to healthy food and to environments where they can lead healthy lives."