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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

El Cáncer Provoca Más Muertes que la Enfermedad del Corazón entre Hispanos



Según un reciente informe federal, el cáncer ha reemplazado la enfermedad del corazón como la causa principal de mortalidad entre hispanos, asiáticos y personas oriundas de las islas del Pacífico. Pero no es porque menos de ellos mueren por enfermedad del corazón. De hecho, más de ellos están falleciendo por las dos causas, e investigadores que tratan el tema tienen ideas sobre el porqué. La explicación más simple es que hay más personas, dijo Kenneth W. Kizer, M.D., director del Institute for Population Health Improvement de la Universidad de California en Davis. Según datos de la Oficina del Censo, los hispanos y asiáticos han sido los dos grupos raciales y étnicos de mayor crecimiento en Estados Unidos en décadas recientes. Estas poblaciones crecientes también ...

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Study: Standing Desks Reduce Obesity Risk in Kids



For the first time, a new study shows that standing desks in classrooms can slow the increase of a key obesity indicator by an average of 5 percentage points. The study, led by the Texas A&M School of Public Health, followed 193 third- and fourth graders in 24 elementary school classrooms, half with standing-oriented desks and half without, for two years in College Station, Texas, the Vital Record reports. Students who had standing-oriented desks for both years averaged a 3% drop in body mass index (BMI)—a key indicator of obesity. Those in traditional desks showed the 2% increase typically associated with getting older. Even more impressive, students who spent only one of two years with standing-oriented desks also had lower mean BMIs than traditionally seated ...

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The Secret to Diabetes Prevention in Latino Communities



An old-school approach is making news in Latino diabetes prevention... Community outreach. In Fresno, Calif., workers with the California Health Collaborative’s Diabetes Education Program go door to door to encourage Latino residents to attend their free, bilingual, six-week diabetes self-management classes. They also heavily publicize their classes—in which participants are given a health assessment and cover topics from the diabetes pathology to stress management to nutrition and physical activity—among a population that is largely uninsured and undocumented. “If they do receive medical care, it might only be when they suffer complications of diabetes, and are seen in an emergency room,” said Rosendo Iniguez, coordinator of the Diabetes Education Program, told ...

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Tasa de Obesidad Adulta Disminuyó en Cuatro Estados; Tasas de Obesidad Aún Son Altas


obesity care week bicycle rider man

Entre 2014 y 2015, la tasa de obesidad adulta en Estados Unidos disminuyó en 4 estados (Minnesota, Montana, Nueva York y Ohio), aumentó en dos (Kansas y Kentucky), y permaneció igual en los demás, esto de acuerdo al informe The State of Obesity: Better Policies for a Healthier America, de la organización Trust for America’s Health y la Fundación Robert Wood Johnson. Estos datos marcan la primera vez en una década en que un estado ha experimentado una reducción en la tasa de obesidad entre los adultos, excepción hecha de Washington DC, que experimentó una reducción en 2010. Pese a esta modesta mejoría, la obesidad continúa poniendo a millones de estadounidenses en alto riesgo de sufrir enfermedades crónicas como la diabetes y males cardíacos, y le cuesta al país ...

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Obesity Rates Decline in 4 States, But Remain High in All States



For the first time in the past decade, U.S. adult obesity rates decreased in four states—Minnesota, Montana, New York and Ohio—in the past year, according to a new report. But there's bad news, too. Obesity increased in Kansas and Kentucky and remained above 20% in all states. Obesity rates also are at or above 30 percent in: 40 states and Washington, D.C. for Blacks; 29 states for Latinos; and 16 states for Whites, according to the according to annual State of Obesity: Better Policies for a Healthier America from the Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Louisiana has the highest adult obesity rate at 36.2%. Colorado is lowest at 20.2%. The new report did indicate some evidence that the rate of increase of adult obesity has been slowing ...

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#SaludTues Tweetchat 8/30/16: “Breaking Barriers to Active Spaces”



Kids can get physical, social, emotional, and mental benefits from play. But what if they have no safe, unlocked places to be active? Tweet with #SaludTues on Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2016, to get information, resources, and tips that can help moms, dads, and kids find ways to unlock and open up active spaces for their communities. We will describe how shared use and open use policies can help schools open their recreational facilities after classes to help Latino and all kids grow up to be a healthier weight, prevent disease, and access the mental health benefits of play! WHAT: #SaludTues Tweetchat: “Breaking Barriers to Active Spaces” TIME/DATE: 1-2 p.m. ET (Noon-1 p.m. CT), Tuesday, August 30, 2016 WHERE: On Twitter with hashtag #SaludTues HOST: @SaludToday ...

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4 Easy Steps to Open Schoolyards after Class


kids running park green space play

Many schoolyards are locked up after classes end. That means many kids, especially in Latino neighborhoods, miss out on a great chance for the physical, emotional, and social benefits of physical activity and play. Want your district to consider an Open Use Policy so local residents can play and be physically active on school fields, playgrounds, and similar facilities after class? Download a free toolkit from Salud America! to start the conversation! Our 2-page toolkit, 4 Easy Steps to Push for Open Use at Your School, outlines how to ask your local school leaders to consider creating an Open Use Policy. This type of policy allows a school to formally grant public access to its recreational facilities, such as fields, outdoor courts, gyms, and pools, and set up roles and ...

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You Can Quit Flossing, Right?


cavity dentist dental

Salud America! Guest Blogger Jefferson Dental Clinics Fewer than 1 in 3 people floss daily. On top of that, the U.S. federal government recently made a controversial ruling to quietly remove flossing from its list of dietary guidelines, after having supported floss since 1979, due to mixed research results on the benefits of flossing. We can all toss the floss, right? Wrong. Flossing remains an effective method to remove food particles and buildup from between the teeth, and help people reach the plaque where it does form between the teeth, said Dr. Leslie Renee Townsend, regional dental director for Jefferson Dental. "Leaving particles and buildup trapped between the teeth is a quick route to developing decay and disease around the teeth and gums," Townsend ...

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Tell Your State PTA: Get Schools to Share Playgrounds!


playground locked with kids

School is back! But when classes end, does your school lock up its recreational facilities? Many Latino families live near schools that lock fields, courts, pools, and playgrounds before and after class—meaning kids miss physical, mental, and emotional benefits of physical activity and play. Tell your State PTA to help get schools to open school rec facilities after class with “Shared Use” or “Open Use” policies! Open or shared use policies can serve as a beacon of good health for local residents, boost community safety, and increase children’s opportunities for physical activity, which is scientifically proven to reduce disease risk and contribute to physical, mental, and social well-being. Open use policies allow a school to formally grant public access to its ...

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