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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

Viewpoint: The Growing Obesity Epidemic among Latino Youth



SaludToday Guest Blogger: Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez Obesity causes more than 15 percent of this country’s preventable deaths—more than alcohol, toxins, care accidents, gun-related deaths, drug abuse and STDs combined—and it causes a huge financial strain on the health care system. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), obesity affects approximately 34 percent of adults and 17 percent of children in the U.S. The agency recently estimated the costs of obesity at almost $150 billion per year. The obesity statistics for young Latinos are particularly frightening. Mexican-American children ages 2 to 19 are more likely to be obese or overweight (40.8 percent) than white (31.9 percent) and African-American (30 percent) children. Among preschoolers, nearly ...

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VIDEO: Latinos, Others Honored for Overcoming Obstacles to Tackle Community Health Problems



Watch this new video that tells the heartwarming stories of the 10 men and women who were recently honored as Community Health Leaders by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation for overcoming daunting odds to improve the health and quality of life for those in disadvantaged or underserved communities across the country. Two Latinos are among the awardees. At the video's 6:32 mark, listen to how Latino father Richard Nares was recognized for developing a successful model to support and transport low-income families with children battling cancer to medical visits. Or read more about him here. At the video's 7:23 mark, listen to how Dr. Gabriel Rincón was recognized for launching Mixteca Organization, Inc., which provides health and education programs to thousands of Latino New Yorkers ...

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Study: Latino Parents Willing to Make Lifestyle Changes to Help Overweight Kids



Parents of overweight Latino children are willing to make tortillas with vegetable oil instead of lard and to make other healthy food and lifestyle choices to get their kids fit, a researcher at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas has found. The focus group findings, which appear online in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, provide important starting points for fighting the epidemic of childhood obesity in Latinos, the largest and fastest-growing ethnic group in Texas and nationally. “Almost half of all Latino kids are either overweight or obese,” said Dr. Glenn Flores, senior author of the study, in a news release. “It’s an important issue in terms of our future generations. If we intervene early enough, we won’t have obese ...

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Sugary Drinks 101 for Latinos (Part 2)



Editor’s Note: This post is part of an ongoing series that will highlight the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s work in Latino communities across the country. SaludToday Guest Blog: An Interview with Jennifer Harris Young people are being exposed to a massive amount of marketing for sugary drinks, such as full-calorie sodas, sports drinks, energy drinks and fruit drinks, according to a new study from the Yale Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity. The study is the most comprehensive analysis of sugary drink nutrition and marketing ever conducted. The data indicate that the companies involved target young people, especially Black and Latino youth. In an interview, Jennifer Harris, director of marketing initiatives for the Rudd Center, details exactly how beverage ...

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Sugary Drinks 101 for Latinos (Part 1)



Editor’s Note: This post is part of an ongoing series that will highlight the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s work in Latino communities across the country. SaludToday Guest Blog: An Interview with Jennifer Harris Young people are being exposed to a massive amount of marketing for sugary drinks, such as full-calorie sodas, sports drinks, energy drinks and fruit drinks, according to a new study from the Yale Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity. The study is the most comprehensive analysis of sugary drink nutrition and marketing ever conducted. The data indicate that the companies involved target young people, especially Black and Latino youth. In an interview, Jennifer Harris, director of marketing initiatives for the Rudd Center, details exactly how beverage ...

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Marketing Has Heavy Influence on Latino Childhood Obesity



Editor's Note: This is Part 1 of a series on new Salud America! research briefs examining Latino youth nutrition, physical activity and marketing. Today's focus is marketing. As with other children and adolescents, marketing may also have a powerful influence on the health behaviors of Latino youth. A new Salud America! research brief shows that: The amount of time young people spend with entertainment media has risen dramatically, particularly among Latinos. Latinos are avid users of digital media, including the Internet and mobile phones, among other new media platforms (e.g., Facebook, MySpace). Latino youth, have been identified as an important target market segment among fast-food and soda companies. Children viewing Spanish-language TV in the U.S. are heavily exposed ...

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VIDEO: Challenges to Healthy Eating Along the Texas-Mexico Border



Food access and mobile food vendors make eating healthy food a challenge in Texas colonias—rural, predominantly Latino settlements along the U.S.-Mexican border that often lack water, electricity, and other infrastructure. Check out a video discussion of colonia issues with Dr. Joseph Sharkey, a professor at The Texas A&M Health Sciences Center and a Healthy Eating Research ...

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PSAs: Childhood Obesity Prevention among Latinos, Minorities



The Ad Council and several governmental agencies partnered to create a culturally appropriate series of public service announcements (PSAs) to address childhood obesity among communities of color, Forbes reports. The campaign's Latino-focused PSA encourages parents to help their kids achieve a healthy body ...

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Research Synthesis: Minorities Reside in Communities that Lack Physical Activity Options



A new research synthesis by Active Living Research examines studies indicating that racial/ethnic minorities and lower-income people live in communities that are not as supportive of physical activity. The synthesis summarizes research on racial/ethnic and economic disparities in obesity and physical activity rates among children, and highlights policy recommendations for decision-makers who can support physical activity among people in lower-income communities and communities of color. Key research results suggest that racial/ethnic minorities and lower-income people: are more likely to live in neighborhoods with fewer and lower-quality sidewalks, and fewer aesthetic amenities like scenery that make walking safer, easier and more appealing; tend to live in neighborhoods ...

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