Childhood obesity rates have tripled in the past 30 years and continue to rise, especially among Latinos. How can this trend be stopped?

Salud America! The National Latino Childhood Obesity Prevention Research Network, directed by the Institute for Health Promotion Research at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and funded by a five-year, $5.2-million grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, is geared to fight the epidemic with plans to unite and increase the number of Latino scientists engaged in research on Latino childhood obesity and seek environmental, behavioral and policy solutions to the epidemic.

Salud America! already has 786 members in its research network and is currently sureying those members to draft a Latino childhood obesity national research priority agenda. The network also will fund and support 20 pilot research projects, each up to $75,000 over two years, and several scientific conferences to further the network's research agenda.

"More than 15 percent of Latinos under age 19 are obese, heightening their risk of heart disease, cancer and other chronic disease. Many factors, from genetics to poor diet to low family income and no health insurance, contribute to the problem," said Amelie G. Ramirez, Dr.P.H., the network's principal investigator and director of the Institute for Health Promotion Research. "We hope Salud America! leads to changes that end Latino childhood obesity."

Join the research network of Salud America! and receive newsletters and alerts to get the most up-to-date news about Latino childhood obesity, research and grant opportunities.

For More Information:

To learn more about the leadership of Salud America!, visit the Institute for Health Promotion Research at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.

To learn more about U.S. childhood obesity and RWJF's approach to addressing the epidemic, visit the childhood obesity area of the RWJF Web site.