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Rosalie Aguilar-Santos

Rosalie Aguilar Santos, MS, is Salud America!'s national project coordinator. She is passionate about nutrition, physical activity, and opportunities to engage communities in advocacy actions to promote Latino childhood health.

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Articles by Rosalie Aguilar-Santos

5th-Grader, Teacher Help Add a Water Bottle Fountain in School



Praxina Guerra and her mentor Cathy Lopez are true Salud Heroes when it comes to creating an environment of school health and fun. After becoming involved with a local student ambassador program and creating a school club to encourage students to adopt healthier practices, the pair collected funds for a water bottle fountain, also called a hydration station, to be installed in the school’s cafeteria. Their team also started monthly Wellness Wednesday fitness events, available to both parents and students, as a way to increase fitness opportunities for the surrounding community. Seeing the Issue of Obesity First-Hand According to a 2009, Bexar County assessment of obesity by school district, 40% of children enrolled in South San Antonio Independent School District (SSAISD) were ...

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At Kansas Corner Store, Bilingual Ads Help People Pick Healthy Foods



In a part of Kansas that struggled with obesity, one coalition stepped up to find new ways to help the local community make healthier food choices. How’d they try to do it? They started to change the local food environment by increasing the availability and marketing of healthy foods in local stores—and it worked. The Need for Healthy Community Food Awareness: Wyandotte County, Kan., which is 27.1% Hispanic and is home to Kansas City, had a growing problem of obesity, with 41% of school children listed as overweight or obese. Officials with the Latino Health for All Coalition were increasingly aware that many residents shop at corner stores or small grocery stores, which do not always offer fresh produce or a variety of healthy options. Rather, junk food and drinks are the ...

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Study: Kids Eat Too Much Pizza


PFAS Pizza

Do kids eat too much pizza? According to a recent study published in Pediatrics, pizza is the second-greatest source of caloric intake for youth ages of 2-19. Researchers also learned that on any given day 1 in 5 kids eat pizza and that when they do, they consume an additional 230 calories, 5 grams of fat, and 484 milligrams of sodium. When asked by reporters from ABC-7 what he thought about the study's findings, Daniel Cisneros a student from Canutillo High in El Paso, Texas responded: "I'm not surprised whatsoever. I think kids do eat too much pizza and they don't pay attention to much of the health facts that are involved with it." Reporters at ABC-7 also looked at what a typical school lunch menu looks like for local schools and found that on average pizza is served ...

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Alexander Castillo: Student Helps Bring a Salad Bar to His High School in San Antonio, Texas



Alexander Castillo was looking to make some healthy changes in his own life when he came to the realization that his school lacked tasty, nutritious lunch options. Why couldn’t his school have a salad bar? After joining the Mayor’s Fitness Council Student Ambassador program, developing a plan with his mentor, and reaching out to his district’s food services department, Alexander was able to secure a salad bar for his high school. The new salad bar led to an increase in salad purchases and a new outlook on eating fresh fruit and vegetables at his school. The Need for Healthy School Food Awareness: Alexander Castillo, a student at Southwest Academy (a non-traditional alternative high school in the mostly Latino city of San Antonio, Texas) set a goal to pursue his passion for ...

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“Sugar Smarts” Bilingual Campaign in Boston against Sugary Drinks for Kids



The Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC) was ready to step up the fight to improve health in the face of rising obesity problems. So the BPHC developed a bilingual public health campaign against sugary drinks to help residents make healthier choices. The Issue of Sugary Drinks and Obesity Awareness/Learn: Obesity is a big problem. In 2011, the Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC) tried to get ahead of the curve and target sugar reduction with a bilingual campaign called “Azucar Sabia (Sugar Smarts).” This campaign went up in communities around Boston, educating parents about how sugar-sweetened beverages can cause harm to their children through obesity, diabetes, and tooth decay. This campaign was well received but did not make a major impact on the community, health ...

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Digital and Video Nutrition Education for Kids in Class and Out



School lunches and snacks are becoming more nutritious thanks to improved federal nutrition regulations—but this is only part of the school food solution. Nutrition education for kids is a critical component. Natasha Lance Rogoff, a seasoned children’s TV producer, who witnessed the childhood obesity epidemic as she raised her own kids, had an idea to use new technology to engage kids in learning about healthy living. Because of Rogoff, thousands of kids in Massachusetts, New York, and Florida have begun learning through KickinNutrition.TV, a digital platform for teachers to use to instruct students on healthy eating habits and exercise through videos, online gaming, and engagement designed for elementary- and middle-schoolers. The Need for Nutrition for ...

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Chicago Schools Bring Daily P.E. (and Recess and in-Class Activity) to Students



Students at Chicago Public Schools weren’t getting enough physical activity and time spent in P.E., so district officials created a new department solely to improve the health and wellness of students. The department’s new chief health officer led the enactment of three new health policies and the rollout of a plan to bring at least 30 minutes of daily P.E. to all students. Soon students in grades K-8 will be getting a minimum of 150 minutes of P.E. a week, and all high school students will be required to take P.E. every semester. The Need for More Physical Education (P.E.) for Students Awareness: As the third-largest school district in the nation, Chicago Public Schools (CPS) are responsible for ensuring a healthy learning environment for its student body (45% ...

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Afterschool Bike Clubs Empower Physical Activity, Leadership for Students in KC



Middle-school students in the FreeWheels for Kids program are learning what it means to be leaders for healthy change. By bringing bike clubs to various schools and facilities across Kansas City, this nonprofit is helping kids have fun and stay active, while teaching them how to fix bikes, build nature trails, and to voice their desire for a bike friendly community with bike-friendly streets. The Need for More Physical Activity Options in the Community Awareness: Benjamin Alexander was already an avid bicyclist when he started working at a local community center, where he mentored kids in Kansas City, Kan., which is 28% Latino. “I rode my bike to work every day,” Alexander said. At the community center in spring 2011, he was fixing his bike when a middle-school student ...

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Rozarks Nature Trail Brings Physical Activity to Community in Need in Kansas City, KS



After learning that kids in Rosedale were at a high risk for childhood obesity, the Rosedale Development Association (RDA) decided it was time to do something about it. They learned that the community wanted more trails so they hired an expert who developed plans for a hike & bike nature trail to connect the community to parks and other key spots. With support from various groups and the local government, the RDA built over 2.3 miles of nature trail, all at a minimal expense. Families and children in the community are already benefitting from the trail and the group continues expanding the Rozarks trail network. The Issue of Physical Activity in the Neighborhood Awareness:  The Rosedale Development Association (RDA), a Kansas City, Kan., non-profit community development ...

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