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Cliff Despres

Cliff Despres, who has more than a decade of experience in journalism and public relations, is communications director for Salud America! and its home base, the Institute for Health Promotion Research at UT Health San Antonio.

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Articles by Cliff Despres

Stephanie McCoy: Pushing the Boundaries of Public Health


Participants gather for a group photo at a past Exito Summer Institute.

Editor’s Note: This is the story of a graduate of the 2016 Èxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training program. Apply now. Stephanie McCoy isn’t just her family’s first college student and graduate. She is their first master’s-degree student and—should she decide to pursue it—could become their first doctoral degree student, too. McCoy, who is strongly motivated by her personal experiences and her immigrant parents who overcame adversity, is ardently pursuing a career in public health and currently is a master’s student in health behavior and health education at the University of Texas at Austin. She already is already gaining experience working in underserved communities. McCoy has spent several years working with nonprofit organizations, as well as ...

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Paloma Suarez: Advocating for Low-Income Latinas


Paloma Suarez

Known as a “daddy’s girl,” Paloma Suarez learned to be independent from day one when her father encouraged her that she can achieve anything. Growing up in the Dominican Republic and observing massive health inequalities between social classes that led to disproportionate disease burdens, Suarez knew she wanted to improve the status and health of women and families. Suarez is a certified lactation consultant and senior nutritionist for the local Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) federal assistance program in Great Barrington, Mass. She is an advocate and translator for mothers who depend on federal assistance, helping them learn the importance of nutrition and physical activity. To increase her training, Suarez applied for the Éxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership ...

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Tweetchat: How to Improve Mental Health Care for Latino Kids


latino boy thinking; mental health care

Conversations about mental health can often be difficult to have. Many Latino teens and their families avoid the topic altogether. Why should you talk openly open mental health? Latino kids are often affected by issues such as depression, anxiety, and suicide at higher rates than non-Latinos. About 1 in 7 Latina teens attempt suicide. This Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2016, use #SaludTues to take a stand for Latino kids and tweet solutions to tackle the top issues affecting their mental health. WHAT: #SaludTues Tweetchat: “How to Address Challenges in Mental Health Care for Latino Kids” TIME/DATE: 1-2 p.m. EST Tuesday, December 20, 2016 WHERE: On Twitter with hashtag #SaludTues HOST: @SaludToday COHOSTS: The American Psychological Association's (APA) Public Interest ...

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Infografía: Las dietas más sanas del mundo



La dieta tradicional japonesa y la mediterránea son consideradas a menudo como las más sanas del mundo, con vínculos probados al aumento de la esperanza de vida y la reducción del riesgo de enfermedades. Ambas dietas no podrían ser más diferentes en cuanto a sus ingredientes, preparación y sabor, pero ambas comparten los mismos nutrientes que pueden ayurdarnos a vivir una vida más larga y sana. Esta infografía de Medigo explora los nutrientes que hacen tan potentes a estas dietas, los platos en los que puedes encontrarlos y los pasos que puedes seguir para llevar una dieta más sana. Vea aquí la infografía ...

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Ana Hernandez: Using Healthy Food to Fight Cancer


Ana Hernandez

Guided by her heritage and the “coqui,” support from her parents, and wisdom from God, Ana Hernandez always strives to help others. Healthy food is her main utensil for assistance. In fact, Hernandez has helped many people live healthier lives as a registered dietician who focuses on functional foods. Hernandez, who has a degree in human nutrition and foods from the School Family and Consumer Sciences at Texas State University, is also a member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and an officer of the Nutrition and Education and Outreach student organization. Just like the “arepas de cojo” she created to benefit Puerto Ricans with metabolic syndrome, she has a keen interest in how food can prevent cancer, which needs far more attention on solutions to the ...

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Marketers Fuel the Sugary Drink Habits of Latino Preschoolers


latino kid shopping sugary drinks sports drinks

The average Latino infant has 3.8 hours of TV exposure a day, and TV and other media usage remains high as Latino kids get older. Sugary drink marketers are taking full advantage. Latino preschoolers saw 23% more #SugaryDrink ads on Spanish TV in 2013 than in years prior, according to new Sugary Drinks and Latino Kids research from Salud America!, an obesity prevention network under Dr. Amelie Ramirez at UT Health San Antonio. Ads for sugary beverages were more commonly found on Spanish-language than English-language TV. Ad spending on sugary drinks on Spanish-language TV rose 44% from 2010 to 2013, a study found. How can this change? The Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative (CFBAI) is a voluntary self-regulation program for food and drink companies to create ...

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How the Price of Sugary Drinks Impacts Latino Child Health


sugary drink pricing little girl

What would happen if the price of sugary drinks went up? Two models have estimated that a 10% increase in soft drink prices would lead to a reduction in soft drink consumption of between 7.9% and 12.1%, which could ultimately improve people's health. These data are part of the new Sugary Drinks and Latino Kids research from Salud America!, an obesity prevention network at UT Health San Antonio. Can a sugary drink tax really benefit? Sugary drink taxes (e.g., per ounce or gram of added sugar) have been proposed in several states, and a federal tax was introduced in 2014. None have passed so far. But in November 2014, Berkeley, Calif. (10.8% Latino) became the first U.S. jurisdiction to pass a tax on sugary drinks. Revenue from this penny-per-ounce excise tax, estimated at ...

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Tweetchat 12/13: A Healthy Holiday How-To


healthy holiday apple christmas tree

You don't need us to tell you how stressful the holidays can be. So how can we work together to turn the holiday season into a heart-healthy, less-stressed holiday for Latinos, who are at high risk of diabetes and unhealthy weight? Let’s use #SaludTues on Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2016, to tweet info and tips to help us reduce stress and boost healthy eating and activity over the holidays. WHAT: #SaludTues Tweetchat: “A Healthy Holiday How-To” TIME/DATE: 1-2 p.m. ET (Noon-1 p.m. CT) Tuesday, Dec, 13 2015 WHERE: On Twitter with hashtag #SaludTues HOST: @SaludToday CO-HOSTS: My Food Diary (@MyFoodDiary), KidsHealth.org (@KidsHealth), the National Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) Sponsor Association (@NationalCACFP) We’ll open the floor to your stories and ...

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Water and the Health of Latino Kids


latina girl drinking from water fountain

Did you know Mexican-American kids drink less plain water than white kids? They also are more likely to perceive tap water as unsafe? In fact, negative perceptions of school water fountains were associated with sugary drink intake among Latino kids, according to new Sugary Drinks and Latino Kids research from Salud America!, an obesity prevention network under Dr. Amelie Ramirez at UT Health San Antonio. What changes can promote water? When New York elementary and middle schools replaced vending machines with water jets, students’ likelihood of being overweight dropped 0.9 percentage points among boys and 0.6 points among girls. Also, kids would consume 205 fewer calories a day by replacing sugary drink consumption with low-fat milk at meals and water between meals. What ...

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