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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

Spanish Report: Summit Tackles Problem of Latino Childhood Obesity



Last week in San Antonio, the 4th Annual Salud America! Summit brought together experts from around the country to discuss the latest advancements to reduce and prevent Latino childhood obesity. Learn more in this Univision video news report by Monica Navarro about Salud America!, a national research network funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and directed by the Institute for Health Promotion Research at the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio. The video features Salud America! director Dr. Amelie ...

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Report: Becoming an American Can Be Bad for Your Health



A growing body of mortality research on immigrants has shown that the longer they live in the United States, the worse their rates of heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes, according to a New York Times report. According to the report: For Hispanics, now the nation’s largest immigrant group, the foreign-born live about three years longer than their American-born counterparts, several studies have found. Why does life in the United States — despite its sophisticated health care system and high per capita wages — lead to worse health? New research is showing that the immigrant advantage wears off with the adoption of American behaviors — smoking, drinking, high-calorie diets and sedentary lifestyles. Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, director of the Salud America! Latino ...

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Video: Healthier School Snacks & Latino Kids



Check out this new video on how Latino kids need healthier school snacks. The video, which is part of a new Salud America! “Healthier School Snacks & Latino Kids” package of research, can be found at ...

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Infographic: Healthier School Snacks & Latino Kids



Check out this new infographic on how Latino kids need healthier school snacks. The infographic, which is part of a new Salud America! “Healthier School Snacks & Latino Kids” package of research, can be found at ...

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Study: Unhealthy Food Ads Dominate Spanish TV Shows for Latino Kids



More than 84 percent of all foods and beverages advertised to children on Spanish-language television shows are unhealthy, according to a study published in the Journal of Health Communication. Among companies that pledged to reform their child-directed advertising practices to encourage healthier choices, 78 percent of ads for children on Spanish-language television and 69 percent of ads for children on English-language television were for unhealthy foods or drinks. The study, “Food Marketing to Children on U.S. Spanish-Language Television,” is the first large-scale effort to analyze food and beverage advertising on Spanish-language children’s television. It was funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation through its Healthy Eating Research program. “All children, and ...

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Spanish Videos: Latino Families Can Dance and Have a Healthy Eating Taste Test



Two new Spanish-language videos show healthier lifestyles, one promoting family activities, such as a father showing his daughter he can dance, and another showing a family having a healthy foods taste test. The videos aim to challenge children to engage in healthier lifestyles. Both videos were made possible by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and presented by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of ...

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Infographic: Federal Obesity Prevention Efforts Could Save Billions of Dollars Over 75 Years



The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates the costs of proposed federal legislation over a 10-year timeframe. That might not be long enough to account for total savings inherent in the proposed legislation. If the CBO extends that window from 10 to 75 years, it could better account for all of the costs and savings attributable to various obesity-prevention efforts, according to a new report by the Campaign to End Obesity. The report identifies billions of dollars in potential savings that are attributable to four specific obesity-prevention strategies that would prevent obesity and related chronic conditions in the long run, thus helping save money by reducing health care costs and increasing wages. Check out the report's key findings in this ...

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What Are Health Disparities?



Health disparities are differences in incidence, prevalence, mortality, and burden of diseases and other adverse health conditions that exist among specific U.S. population groups. Latinos, for example, suffer various disparities in cancer, chronic disease, obesity and other conditions. To learn more, visit the Institute for Health Promotion Research at The UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, the team behind SaludToday. You also can check out the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Health Disparities & Inequalities Report. The report analyzes recent trends and ongoing variations in health disparities and ...

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Report: Multi-Level Changes Needed to Reduce Latino Obesity Epidemic



A combination of regulation of unhealthy foods, support from community organizations, and individual behavior changes is crucial to reducing high rates of obesity among Latinos, according to a new report released this week by The Hispanic Institute. The report, “Obesity: Hispanic America’s Big Challenge,” details the impact of diabetes and heart disease on the Latino community, which suffers from those obesity-related conditions at rates higher than Whites. The report also offers recommendations and examines the positive roles of diet, exercise, and technology. “Of course, we’re responsible for what we eat and drink, but we’re also subject to the effects of massive advertising and misleading promotional campaigns—especially on our children and the poor,” said Gus ...

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