Two Coachella Valley cities find themselves on the opposite ends of the health spectrum in a new study focusing on fast-food restaurants to produce-selling stores ratios.

The city of La Quinta has nearly four times as many fast-food restaurants as it does grocery stores and other produce-selling venues, earning it a No. 5 ranking among Riverside County cities that have more unhealthy food choices available.

The city of Coachella was ranked No. 3 on the “Better than Average Food Balance” list because it has more healthy food options.

The index was released last month by the Riverside County Department of Public Health as part of a larger study about the way a community's nutritional environment affects its residents' eating habits.

“There is mounting evidence that show people trying to make healthy food choices, if they don't have those types of options, will fall back to making unhealthy choices,” said Kevin Meconis, an epidemiologist with the county's public health department.

Coachella Mayor Eduardo Garcia said he is pleased with his city's ranking.

“Coachella, because it's historically an agriculturally based community, we've been lucky to have fresh produce accessible in our community,” he said. “But transition that to today, it's good to know that we're ranked high because I think, more than ever, the community of Coachella seems to be moving toward a greater consciousness of healthy living.”

The county's Retail Food Environment Index is based on 2007 data gathered by calculating the ratio of fast food restaurants and convenience stores to grocery stores, produce stands and farmers markets within city boundaries.

“It's a crude way to evaluate the food choices in a community,” Meconis said, “but it's one way we chose to get residents to start dialogue about food choices in their areas.”

La Quinta city officials challenge the study.

“We believe the city of La Quinta has an excellent distribution of grocery or related stores that may sell produce,” said Bret Plumlee, La Quinta's assistant city manager.

The city is also adding two Fresh & Easy Markets, with one already under construction, and plans to begin hosting a certified farmers market this year.

Plumlee said the city has less than twice as many fast food restaurants than produce-selling stores, according to an internal analysis.

Meconis said the study accounts for the fact that La Quinta has chain grocery stores such as Trader Joe's, Costco and Stater Bros., but said those stores still don't make up for the disproportion.

“We didn't expect to see La Quinta ranked among the highest because it's a more affluent community,” Meconis said. “But it looks like they've captured a lot of fast-food restaurants and convenience stores because Highway 111 runs right through it and caters to visitors.”

Coachella, on the other hand, offers a “relative balance of fast food and fresh produce,” according to the county report.

“Coachella doesn't have all those big box retailers, but they have a high density of small grocery stores, carnicerias and produce stands that balance out their fast food options,” Meconis said.

Higher rates of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer are associated with communities with high numbers of fast-food restaurants compared to grocery stores, according to the California Center for Public Health Advocacy.

That fact is what makes the information from this index that much more important to Riverside County, where nearly two out of three adults and 15 percent of youth are overweight or obese, said county public health department officials.

The county public health department plans to continue its research and will conduct surveys into 2009 of local stores to see if they offer a good range of healthy food options that are fresh and adequately priced, Meconis said.