Articles by Cliff Despres

Study: Mexico’s Sugary Drink Tax Will Reduce Diabetes, Save $1 Billion in Healthcare Costs

November 7, 2016

The tax on sugary drinks in Mexico is projected to prevent 190,000 cases of diabetes, 20,000 heart attacks and strokes, and 19,000 deaths among Mexicans ages 35-94 over the next 10 years, according to a new study. The tax will save $1 billion in direct healthcare costs in a decade, the study found. For the study, researchers from UC San Francisco and Mexico created a new simulation model of diabetes and heart disease to make the first long-term projections about the health and economic effects of the tax in Mexico, where 75% of adults are overweight or obese and diabetes rates are extremely high. Mexico adopted a 10% excise tax on sugary drinks in 2014. The tax’s effect on diabetes alone is expected to reduce health care spending on clinic visits and hospitalizations by $983 ...

Submit Public Comment for Latino Health Equity!

October 31, 2016

U.S. Latinos are a diverse, dynamic, rising population. But without proper and unified data on this population, researchers can’t develop treatments and officials can't create public health campaigns to address Latinos’ high rates of obesity, diabetes, and certain cancers. Add your public comment now as the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) considers the first changes in 20 years to federal standards for collecting and reporting data on race and ethnicity. The changes would require federal agencies to collect and report more detailed data on the country’s diverse populations to identify and improve health equity. Not sure what to say? Use this model comment: Latinos are the largest racial/ethnic minority in the United States. In 2016, 1 in 6 people ...

Investigación sobre la Obesidad Infantil Latino, Infografías y Vídeos Animados

October 26, 2016

Escuelas Saludables spanish espanol salud america

Cuatro nuevo informes de investigación en español, infografías, y vídeos animados que hablan de las causas y soluciones innovadoras hacia la obesidad infantil Latina, investigado por Salud America!, una red nacional de prevención basada en UT Health Science Center en San Antonio y fundado por la Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Los materiales en español, publicados en ingles durante los principios del 2016, enfrentan las críticas razones por la cual los niños Latinos son más obesos y más sobrepeso que sus padres. Los materiales también muestran tácticas para revertir la epidemia, basados en la evidencia. “Queremos que la gente comparten estos materiales con sus amigos, su familia y las personas influyentes para crecer el conocimiento de las problemas de salud en los ...

En Español: Latino Childhood Obesity Research, Infographics, Videos

October 26, 2016

healthier schools physical activity spanish espanol

Four new Spanish-language sets of research briefs, animated videos, and infographics explore causes of and solutions to Latino childhood obesity, as researched by Salud America!, a national prevention network at the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio and funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The Spanish materials, released in English earlier in 2016, address critical reasons why Latino children are more obese or overweight than their peers. The materials also feature evidence-based tactics working to reverse the epidemic. Healthy Weight / Peso Saludable One of four U.S. kids is already overweight or obese by age 2-5, with a higher rate among Latino kids (30%) than white kids (21%). How can Latino kids achieve a healthy weight by kindergarten? Reseña Tematica ...

#SaludTues Tweetchat 11/1: Giving Latinos No Stomach for Cancer

October 25, 2016

latina woman running to prevent stomach cancer

Stomach cancer, once the nation’s top cancer killer, is now only 14th in U.S. cancer deaths. So you can relax, right? Well, among Latinos, stomach cancer rates are 73% higher in men and 50% higher in women compared to non-Latinos, and the decline in deaths from stomach cancer isn’t dropping as fast Latinos as it is for non-Latinos, according to the American Cancer Society. For Stomach Cancer Awareness Month starting in November, let’s use #SaludTues on Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016, to tweet about the causes of and solutions to prevent and reduce this type of cancer among Latinos. WHAT: #SaludTues Tweetchat: “Giving Latinos No Stomach for Cancer” TIME/DATE: 1-2 p.m. ET (Noon-1 p.m. CT), Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016 WHERE: On Twitter with hashtag #SaludTues HOST: ...

How to Bring the World’s Game—Fútbol—to Your Area!

October 25, 2016

Fútbol (soccer) is played by 250 million people in more than 200 countries. The sport has many benefits, including its simplicity for beginners and complex strategies for veteran players, aerobic physical activity that lowers body fat and builds endurance from shifts in walking, running and sprinting, and social and leadership skill development. BUT…many U.S. Latinos and others miss out on fútbol because soccer fields tend to be limited to middle-class suburban neighborhoods and pay-to-play soccer clubs, experts say. Here’s some ways to bring soccer closer to home: Building Soccer Fields for All Soccer enthusiasts Shawn Levy and Ricki Ruiz, dismayed by the lack of safe, affordable physical activity opportunities in their part of Oregon, led innovative campaigns to help ...

Public Comments Wanted: How to Get Latino Kids More Physically Active

October 24, 2016

latina girl tug of war play physical activity

Bad news: Latino kids don't get enough physical activity. Good news: You can speak up now for active kids! Public comments are being sought for the second edition of the U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, which sets vital activity recommendations for youth and adults. Add your public comment now! Not sure what to say? Use our sample comment: Salud America! led a research review (http://www.communitycommons.org/groups/salud-america/big-bets/sa-active-spaces/) that found Latino children in underserved communities often have limited opportunities for physical activity. To be able to stay their healthiest, Latino children and their families need safe places to walk, roll, bike, swim, and play. Safe routes and shared or open use agreements are evidence-based ...

Study: Latino Kids More Open to Smoking

October 24, 2016

Latino farm boy in poverty and food insecurity

Latino kids are more likely to start smoking and develop a daily habit than other kids, according to a new study, Reuters reports. The study, led by Sherine El-Toukhy of the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, examined "smoking susceptibility," which precedes smoking behavior, of almost 144,000 non-smoking youth ages 9-21 from 1999 to 2014. Overall, the amount of smoking susceptibility rose from 21% to 23% over those 15 years. But smoking susceptibility varied by race/ethnicity: For Latino kids, it rose from 22% to 28%. For white kids, it held steady at about 21%. For black kids, it dropped from 21% to 17% in 2003, but rose back to 20% in 2014. Latino kids overall appeared to be as much as 67% more susceptible to smoking than white kids, ...

How California is Pushing for More Latino Doctors

October 21, 2016

What happens in a state where half of people are Latino, but only 5% of doctors are? It means not enough doctors with the cultural competency and understanding of the Latino community to adequately serve them—like in California right now. That is why the Latino Physicians of California professional group and others are urging increased representation of Latinos in the medical field, according to California Healthline. Complicating matters is that, in California: Latinos represent only 8% of nurses; Latino represent only 4% of pharmacists; More than one-third of current doctors are expected to retire within 10 years; and Latinos make up a small percentage of graduating medical students. “If we are going to properly serve our current and future patient base, we ...

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Cliff Despres

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