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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

Video: Sugary Drinks and Latino Kids



Check out this cool new animated video on the science behind the consumption of sugary beverages among Latino kids. The video, which is part of a new Salud America! “Sugary Drinks and Latino Kids” package of research, which also contains a research review, issue brief and infographic, can be found here. Latino kids consume an above-average amount of sugary drinks (74% have had a sugary drink by age 2!). Raising the price of sugary drinks could reduce consumption among Latino kids, and potentially improve weight outcomes, according to ...

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Infographic: Sugary Drinks & Latino Kids



What’s the impact of pricing on sugary drink consumption among Latino kids? Check out this cool infographic that indicates that higher sugary drink prices were linked to lower body weight in school kids, with a greater impact on Latino students, according to research. The infographic is part of a new Salud America! “Sugary Drinks and Latino Kids” package of research, which also contains a research review, issue brief and animated video. All materials can be found ...

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Find Nutrition/Activity Tips, Healthy Recipes at ‘NotMyKids’ Website



Childhood obesity can lead to type 2 diabetes. A new website, notmykids.net, offers healthier recipes, tips on how to eat healthier, and ideas about how to help families be more physically active, to promote healthy lifestyle changes and prevent obesity. The site is produced by the California Department of Public Health’s Network for a Healthy California. Watch their video here or ...

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Spanish Resources: ‘MiPlato’ Food Prep Tips, Recipes, Coloring Pages



To celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15 to Oct. 15) and increase awareness about MiPlato, the USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion is launching resources for Spanish-speaking audiences, according to a USDA blog post. MiPlato is the USDA's icon for the five food groups to remind Spanish-speakers to make healthier choices at each meal. Visit ChooseMyPlate.gov and click on En Español to find the latest addition to the 10 Tips Nutrition Education Series, Disfrute Comidas de Varias Culturas (Enjoy Food from Many Cultures), about how to prepare healthier ethnic/cultural foods. Educators and health professionals can integrate the En Español section of ChooseMyPlate.gov into program and education efforts. The new Spanish-language resources include general ...

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Study: Play-in-the-Street Event Spurs Healthier Lifestyles in Latino City


siclovia_street_view

In San Antonio, half of adults do not meet national physical activity recommendations. But there's good news. Attending Síclovía—an event that shuts down a major road for several hours to provide a safe, open space for families to "play in the street"—opens the door to a healthier future for families, according to a new study. More than half of Síclovía attendees say they improved their physical activity behaviors after attending the event, says preliminary study data presented at a press conference on Sept. 24, 2013 by representatives of the YMCA of Greater San Antonio and the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at UT Health San Antonio. The study results show: 53% of respondents reported they changed their physical activity level after attending a ...

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9/20/13: Watch Live Stream of Childhood Obesity Summit With Olympic Figure Skater Michelle Kwan, Researcher Amelie Ramirez, Others



Want to hang out with former Olympic figure skater Michelle Kwan, Let’s Move Executive Director Sam Kass, and Salud America! Director Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez? Washington Post Live will host a Childhood Obesity Summit on Sept. 20, 2013, featuring these and other exciting leaders in the movement who will offer fresh perspectives on strategies for reversing the epidemic and recent signs of progress. There are a few ways you can take part: Apply here to attend in person in Washington, D.C. Watch a livestream of the event. Converse on Twitter using the hashtag #childhoodobesity. Other scheduled speakers include Regina Benjamin, the 18th Surgeon General of the United States; Yael Lehmann, executive director of The Food Trust; Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, president and CEO of the Robert ...

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Latino Researcher Works to Improve Children’s Health in a Latino Farm-Worker Community



A recent study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine that found that both parents and physicians in the Latino migrant farm-worker community of Immokalee, Fla., were not as concerned with their children being overweight as they were children who were obese. The study suggested the need for programs that facilitate Latino parents' interest and action to improve their children's health. Who is rising to meet the need? The author of the study, Dr. Javier Rosado. Rosado—who conducted the research as grantee of Salud America!, a Latino childhood obesity research network funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) and directed by the Institute for Health Promotion Research at The UT Health Science Center at San Antonio—has galvanized a team of medical ...

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Report: Half of Hispanics Kids Will Develop Diabetes


Latino dad with diabetes

Half of all Hispanic children will develop diabetes, health officials say, KENS-TV reports. In South Texas, where the population is mostly Hispanic, diabetes and obesity are the top biggest threats to health, given their link to certain cancers, heart disease, stroke, and more. South Texas, a 38-county region spanning 45,000 square miles along the Texas-Mexico border and northward up to San Antonio and Bexar County, is home to 18 percent of the state's population. Yet, South Texas residents who are predominantly Hispanics struggle with lower educational levels, less income and less access to health care, setting the stage for disease, according to the South Texas Health Status Review, an examination of health problems in the region by the Institute for Health Promotion Research ...

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Be a Star! Share Your Story of Healthy Community Change and We Can Write it Up, Film it



Do you have a story of healthy community change? At Salud America!, a national Latino childhood obesity research network, we can: Interview you Write your story into a professional case study Possibly film your story Then we'll promote your story on our national platform to inspire others to improve Latino child health in their areas. You can also use the story in your own networks. Best part? It's no cost to you! Just see what we did for the folks in Alice, Texas, who teamed up to open some school facilities up to the public for physical activity after school hours. Case study story Video Just email us at saludamerica@uthscsa.org or call 210-562-6528 to start. Find more info here. Salud America!, which is funded by the Robert Wood Johnson ...

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