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Amanda Merck

Merck completed her MPH with a concentration in Physical Activity and Health. She curates content for Salud America! (@SaludAmerica), a Latino childhood obesity prevention project based at the Institute for Health Promotion Research at UT Health San Antonio. She focuses on the latest research, resources, and stories related to policy, systems, and environmental changes to enhance equitable access to safe places for kids and families to walk, bike, and play.

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Articles by Amanda Merck

Study: Minorities’ Health Would Benefit Most from Sugary Drink Tax



Taxing sugar-sweetened beverages is likely to decrease consumption, resulting in lower rates of diabetes and heart disease—and these health benefits are expected to be greatest for low-income, Hispanic and African-American Californians, according to a new study, HealthCanal reports. The study, led by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, Oregon State University and Columbia University, "modeled the national health effects of a penny-per-ounce tax over the course of 10 years and found that it would reduce consumption among adults by 15 percent." That reduction in sugary drink consumption would improve health indicators for minority populations, according to the report: The analysis, published Dec. 11, 2013 in the online journal PLOS ONE, predicted that ...

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Latino Student Cooks Up Healthy Dishes



Leon Sanchez, a Chicago high-school student inspired by his dying grandmother to cook, recently won the Cooking Up Change contest that challenges students to develop healthy school lunch meals that meet federal nutrition standards, according to a new video by the Kids’ Safe & Healthful Foods (KSHF) Project, and a blog post by PreventObesity.net that feature Sanchez. Sanchez and his teammates won the contest for Mexican-food-inspired dishes, including chicken rancheros and tropical de fruta. The recipes have had a great impact on children's health. “I wanted to make my grandmother proud, and make everyone who knows me proud,” Sanchez said in the video. “We are actually helping kids live a longer life.” Learn more about Cooking Up Change ...

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Latinos Urged to Get Flu Vaccine



Latino are less likely to receive the flu vaccine than other ethnic groups, a fact influenced by limited access to medical care, experts say, Saludify reports. That's why, for National Influenza Vaccination Week Dec. 8-14, 2013, the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC) is inviting Latinos ages 6 months and older to get vaccinated against the influenza. Vaccination is the first and most important step to protect against flu, the CDC said. The vaccine reduces one’s risk of illness, hospitalization, or even death and can prevent the spread of the virus to loved ones. Flu vaccines are offered in many locations, including doctor’s offices, clinics, health departments, retail stores and pharmacies, and health centers, as well as by many employers and schools. Go ...

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Rankings: U.S. Obesity Levels Off; Hawaii, Vermont among Healthiest States



U.S. Obesity leveled off since last year, the first time since 1998 that obesity rates have not worsened, according to the new United Health Foundation’s 2013 America’s Health Rankings, an annual comprehensive assessment of the nation’s health on a state-by state basis. Here are the key nationwide health trends from last year to this year: Smoking rates dropped from 21.2% of the adult population to 19.6%. Physical inactivity dropped from 26.2% of the adult population to 22.9%. Obesity remained about the same, about 27% of the adult population. At the state level, Hawaii has taken the title of healthiest state. The state scored well along most measures particularly for having low rates of uninsured individuals, high rates of childhood immunization, and low rates of ...

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Study: Hispanic Stressed Parents Most Likely to Have Obese Kids



New research shows that kids with stressed parents are more likely to be obese. Hispanic mothers and fathers who were stressed saw the greatest impact on their children’s body mass index (BMI) compared to any other ethnicity in the new study, Voxxi reports. The study, led by St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, found that kids with high-stress parents have a 2% higher BMI than kids with low-stress parents. Researchers speculated that stressed parents were less likely concerned with healthy food options and exercise. According to the article: Hispanic children, who made up more than half of the test subjects, were the most predominantly affected by the stress of their parents, a finding study authors feel may indicate Hispanic children are more likely to experience hypherphasia ...

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New Guide: How to Promote Better Health for All



Low-income communities, particularly communities of color, are more likely to lack access to healthy foods, smoke-free air, and safe places to play and be active. But these health inequalities are preventable. A new tool, A Practitioner's Guide for Advancing Health Equity, can help public health practitioners work at the community level to tackle health inequities through policy, systems, and environmental improvements designed to enhance tobacco-free living, healthy eating, and active living among the underserved. The guide, from the Prevention Institute and the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, has practical tips on how you can build change for health equity: Tips to help you and your colleagues build organizational capacity; develop partnerships; foster meaningful ...

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Study: 70% of California Latino Kids Eat Fast Food Regularly



A surprisingly large percentage of very young children in California, including 70% of Latino children, eat fast food regularly, according to a new research brief, News-Medical.Net reports. The study by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research examined survey data to examine kids' dietary behaviors and the impact of parents on food choices. The study found that: 60% of all kids between the ages of 2 and 5 had eaten fast food at least once in the previous week. 29% of all kids had eaten fast food two or more times in the previous week. Only 57% of parents reporting that their child ate at least five fruit and vegetable servings the previous day. Latino and Asian parents say they have less influence over what their child eats than other groups. "A weekly happy meal is ...

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Study: Toddler Obesity Risk Highest in Hispanics, Native Americans



Toddlers from low-income Hispanic, American Indian (AI), and Alaskan Native (AN) homes are at increased risk for obesity, according to a new study, Medscape reports. The federal study, published in the journal Pediatrics, collected weight data for 1.2 million children at ages 0 to 23 months in 2008 and followed up with them within 24 to 35 months in 2010-11. In 2008, 13.3% of children were obese. In 2010-11, 36.5% of those children remained obese and 11% who were not obese at baseline became obese at follow-up. The Medscape article also highlighted some striking disparities in children's weight by race/ethnicity: At baseline, obesity rates were higher among Hispanic and AI/AN toddlers, with 18.0% of AI/AN children obese at baseline compared with 15.3% of Hispanic children, 12.8% of ...

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The Ticket to Healthy Holiday Food for Latino Families



Eating healthy during the holidays is not impossible, according to MomsRising, which galvanizes women around different issues, including health. MomsRising united several food bloggers last year for a blog carnival focused on holiday eating. Several of the carnival's posts have relevance this year, too, for Latino families: Savory Latino Meals without the Meat (in Spanish here), by Elisa Bastista In Food We Trust, by Antonio Diaz Quinoa Salad, by Vianney Rodriguez A Simple Chile de Arbol Salsa, by Nicole Presley Mango, Jicama, and Cucumber Salad, by Veronica Gonzalez-Smith Check out all recent blog carnival posts from MomsRising ...

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