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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

San Antonio Reports a Significant Drop in Obesity Rates



When a city works together to make healthy changes, incredible things can happen quickly! In just 2 years, obesity rates in San Antonio and Bexar County dropped from 35.1% in 2010 to 28.5% in 2012 on the heels of new health and fitness initiatives across the city, said San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro and local health officials at a press conference July 31, 2013. The city now has a lower rate of obesity than the current Texas average (29.3%). "We now have evidence that our investments are paying off and positively impacting the health of our families and the overall quality of life in San Antonio," Castro said. Overall, 70,000 of adults in Bexar County moved into a healthier weight category from 2010 to 2012. Obesity rates also decline among local racial/ethnic minority ...

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Expanding the Effort to Improve the Health and Success of Young Men of Color



Boys and young men of color are more likely to grow up in poverty, live in unsafe neighborhoods, and attend schools that lack the basic resources and supports that kids need in order to thrive. About 44% of Latino males and 46% of African American males do not have a high school diploma, and Latino youth are two times more likely and African-American youth are five times more likely to be involved with the juvenile justice system than their white counterparts. That's why the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) is investing in successful models that can be strengthened and spread to help even more youths. RWJF recently announced grants of approximately $500,000 each to 10 organizations through Forward Promise, its $9.5 million initiative to improve the health and success of ...

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Video: Active Play and Latino Kids



Check out this cool new animated video on why its critical for Latino kids to get more active play time. The video, which is part of a new Salud America! “Active Spaces and Latino Kids” package of research, which also contains a research review, issue brief and infographic, can be found here. The research suggests that culturally relevant school- and community-based programs, better access to active play sites, and education for parents can help young Latinos become more physically ...

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Research: Latino Kids Get Less ‘Active Play’



Latino kids have fewer opportunities to engage in physical activity than other kids. They are also less likely to meet federal recommendations of at least 60 minutes of activity a day, due to fewer parks and other active spaces, fewer school- or community-based physical activity programs during school or after, and parenting styles. But culturally relevant school- and community-based programs, better access to active play sites, and education for parents can help young Latinos become more physically active, according to a new package of research materials from Salud America! The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Research Network to Prevent Obesity Among Latino Children. The new Salud America! “Active Play and Latino Kids” materials include a research review of the latest ...

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Infographic: Active Play and Latino Kids



Check out this cool infographic on why its critical for Latino kids to get more active play time. The infographic, which is part of a new Salud America! “Active Spaces and Latino Kids” package of research, which also contains a research review, issue brief and animated video, can be found ...

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Campaign: Rethink Your Drink



Check out the The Network for a Healthy California—Rethink Your Drink Campaign, which aims to educate low-income Californians about healthy drink options. The campaign, a public health initiative led by the California Department of Public Health, also aims to help identify drinks with added sugar and make the link between consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks and health risks. In this way, the campaign hopes to shift consumption toward healthier, more affordable beverages like water. The campaign offers lots of resources, including some in Spanish: Tip sheets Pledge cards sugar calculations recipes information about a cartoon character, Potter the Otter, who loves water. Officials hope the campaign stimulates community-level partnerships and invites local ...

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Videos: Signs of Progress in Reducing Childhood Obesity



Check out these new videos from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation that discuss progress in reversing childhood obesity. This video features Genoveva Islas-Hooker, regional director of the Central California Regional Obesity Prevention, about how California and Latino families are addressing the epidemic. This video features Eduardo Sanchez, MD, deputy chief medical officer, American Heart Association, provides his take on what needs to be done to address the childhood obesity epidemic. To learn more, go ...

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State Struggles with Junk Food Marketing to Latino Kids



About 18% of all third-graders in Connecticut are obese. About 25% of Latino third-graders in the state are obese. Some experts in the region are highlighting unhealthy marketing as a contributor, given Latino kids' high exposure to media, the New Britain Herald reports. “In my opinion, Spanish-speaking children are more heavily targeted by junk food, dessert and sugar-sweetened beverage ads because their community is very disempowered and does not have the means to advocate for changes in these unhealthy marketing practices that have been seriously questioned by groups that have a higher social position in the country,” Dr. Rafael Perez-Escamilla, director of the Connecticut Center for Eliminating Health Disparities among Latinos at the University of Connecticut, told the ...

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Study Finds Link Between Peanut Consumption and Lower Obesity Rates in Mexican-American Children



A recent study by the Children's Nutrition Research Center in Houston, Texas has discovered an interesting correlation between obesity and peanut consumption. According to their study, Mexican-American children who consume peanuts at least once a week are less likely to be overweight or obese. Currently, 39% of the Mexican-American children are classified as overweight or obese, compared to the 32% of all children in the United States- a fact that prompts studies like this, that explore what factors and foods affect childhood obesity. Studies have long shown the health benefits of nut consumption for adults, aiding in lower lipid levels, lower body mass indices, and reduced risk of coronary artery disease. This study looks specifically at how these benefits relate to children. It ...

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