SPRINGFIELD, IL – Illinois must improve access to healthy foods and fitness opportunities in rural regions to improve health in rural communities. Living in a rural area in Illinois is associated with an increased prevalence of obesity, which is linked to a higher risk of COVID-19 complications. Southern Illinois University (SIU) Medicine Department of Population Science and Policy , SIU Paul Simon Public Policy Institute , The University of Illinois Chicago School of Public Health and the SIU Medicine Center for Rural Health and Social Service Development have developed a set of