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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: Unique ‘Breakfast in the Classroom’ Program in Texas



Watch a new video that features teachers, principals and staff members talking about the Breakfast in the Classroom (BIC) program in Abilene, Texas. Here's a little about the program from the Texas Hunger Initiative Blog: BIC aims to take breakfast from school cafeterias and serve it in classrooms to ensure that every student starts the school day with a healthy meal. Many students often miss out on breakfast because they arrive at school late or are afraid of the social stigma that accompanies eating breakfast in the school cafeteria. According to the most recent data, only 56% of eligible Texas students participate in the free breakfast program. Here's the ...

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‘Recess Rock Stars’ Teach What Play Works



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 Blogger: Nancy Barrand Many children don’t get the recommended daily allowance of play they need to stay healthy. School recess is the number one opportunity to make sure kids are physically active. Playworks, a program that protects and promotes recess and physical activity throughout the school day, supplies trained, full-time staff to more than 100,000 students every day. These “recess rock stars,” as the organization calls them, teach new and classic games at low-income urban schools in 20 cities around the country, including Latino communities in Los Angeles, Albuquerque, N.M., Houston and ...

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WEBINAR: Marketing & Latino Youth on July 7



Hispanic and Latino youth face unique issues when it comes to the obesity epidemic. Among the concerns is that food and beverage companies appear to aggressively market to Hispanic youth. Examples include a recent report that many fast-food companies target Hispanic kids via Spanish-language TV and radio, and companies like McDonald's "meencanta.com" website use Internet gaming to target Hispanics. That’s why PreventObesity.net is partnering with the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) and the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) to offer a webinar look at this trend, specifically studying how proposed food marketing principles recently unveiled by the Federal Trade Commission and other agencies could affect Hispanic youth. The free ...

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VIDEO: San Antonio Residents Urged to Find a Healthy Balance



A new TV spot from SABalance.com, the City of San Antonio's initiative to encourage healthy lifestyles, urges residents to "Find Your Balance" and develop good eating and exercise habits. The bilingual spot prominently features active Latinos and beautiful San Antonio cityscapes. Watch in English here or below: Watch in Spanish here or ...

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VIDEO: Break the Cycle of Obesity and Diabetes



A new TV spot from SABalance.com, the City of San Antonio's initiative to encourage healthy lifestyles, urges residents to break the cycle of obesity and diabetes. The bilingual spot prominently features a Latino family. Watch in English here or below: Watch in Spanish here or ...

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Tackling Latino Child Obesity in the Kitchen, Church & Community



How can... After-school programs impact Latino kids' fitness? (Pg 1) Churches serve as sites for Latino child obesity prevention? (Pg 4) Getting kids in the kitchen improve Latino nutrition? (Pgs 3 and 5) Find the answers and more in the latest Salud America! E-newsletter. Also find out the latest in Latino childhood obesity policy, news and updates on Salud America!, a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) network to prevent obesity among Latino kids. The network is directed by the Institute for Health Promotion Research at The UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, which developed SaludToday. To sign up to receive Salud America! E-newsletters, go ...

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VIDEO: Tackling Latino, African-American Health Issues



If you missed it June 2, go here to watch the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) webinar, "A Multicultural Lens: Focusing on RWJF's Work in African-American and Latino Communities." The event highlighted RWJF programs to address health issues within these communities. It also featured the RWJF Multicultural Newsroom, a dynamic online site that provides extensive health-related resources for journalists whose coverage serves African-Americans and Latinos. RWJF President and CEO Dr. Risa Lavizzo-Mourey addressed the Foundation's work within communities of color, and five RWJF senior leaders talked about programs targeting key issues, such as health care disparities, childhood obesity prevention, greater health care quality, the impact of social factors on health, and increased ...

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Teens Drink Healthy, but Guzzle Soda, Too; Differences by Race/Ethnicity



Although high school students report drinking plenty of water, milk, and real fruit juice, they still gulp down more sugar-sweetened beverages than is probably good for them, CDC researchers found, ABC News reports. About 24% of teen respondents said they had a soda every day. Several racial/ethnic differences were found, according to the story, which originated at MedPage Today. Teen boys were more likely report drinking milk and whole fruit juices than girls, and whites were more likely than blacks and Hispanics to have water and milk every day. Boys and blacks were also more likely to drink soda and sports drinks than girls and white or Hispanic teens. For more, watch the ABC News report here or ...

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Report: Addressing Latino Obesity in San Antonio and South Texas



A new report on the recent 2nd Annual SALSI Research Forum: Latino Obesity highlights innovative strategies and programs to reduce obesity among San Antonio and South Texas Latinos. Nearly 75% of Latinos were overweight or obese in Texas as of 2009. That’s why Latino obesity-focused research and programs are so vital. “The researchers and leaders present at the forum are working at ‘ground zero’ of the Latino obesity epidemic in Texas,” said Dr. Amelie Ramirez, director of the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at The UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, which coordinated the forum with UT San Antonio. “It’s important to highlight these efforts to better understand what works to encourage Latinos’ healthier lifestyles.” The forum on May 10, ...

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