About the Author

Author Picture

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.

Connect with Amanda:
Twitter Link

Articles by Amanda Merck

Study: Half of What We Eat is Junk Food



A new study reveals that a whopping 60% of what we eat in the U.S. is considered "junk food" loaded with fat, salt, and sugar that we’re not supposed to eat, NBC Health reports. The study reports that this is evidence of why two-thirds of Americans and why 60% of Latinos in the U.S. are overweight or obese. "The most common ultra-processed foods in terms of energy contribution were breads, soft drinks, fruit drinks, and milk-based drinks; cakes, cookies, and pies; salty snacks; frozen and shelf-stable plates; pizza and breakfast cereals," Dr. Carlos Augusto Monteiro of the University of São Paulo and colleagues there, and at Tufts University in Boston, wrote in their report. The study found that just under 650 calories of the average 2,000 calorie-a-day-diet were from fruits ...

Read More

Message Guide: Inspiring Parents to Demand Communities Where All Children Can Grow Up at a Healthy Weight



Every child deserves to be able to eat healthy food and stay active no matter where he or she lives. Children in families living in poverty and communities of color face the highest barriers to growing up at a healthy weight. These families should actively demand healthier environments and food options in their communities. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) published a message guide to help build demand for solutions to childhood obesity. Share the guide with individuals and organizations that work directly with parents, such as community based organizations, spiritual leaders, health care providers, parent-teacher associations, afterschool programs, and early childhood educators to start conversations where you live, work, play, pray and volunteer. Access the ...

Read More

From Neurons to Neighborhoods: An Update: Workshop Summary



The Committee on From Neurons to Neighborhoods: Anniversary Workshop was organized and hosted he Board on Children, Youth, and Families of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) and National Research Council (NRC) in 2010 to review and commemorate a decade of advances since the 2000 report. The board brings the multidisciplinary knowledge and analytic tools of the behavioral, health, and social sciences to bear on the development of policies, programs, and services for children, youth, and families. Researchers, educators, health care providers, courts, policy makers, civic leaders, and many other stakeholders will value how public discourse has transformed in the increasingly integrated science of early child development and how practices and policies influence health. Implications for ...

Read More

#MoveEquity Tweetchat 3/16/16



Low-income people and people of color are more likely to walk or bicycle than people in more affluent communities; however, low-income communities are less likely to have infrastructure that makes it safe and convenient to bike and walk such as sidewalks, bike paths, street lighting, and crosswalks. Additionally, the rate of childhood obesity has increased four-fold over the past 40 years, and rates of physical inactivity and obesity are disproportionately high among Latino and African American youths. Such health inequities in low-income communities stem from a lack of access to physical activity opportunities such as parks, sidewalks, and bicycle lanes. We want to hear about your experiences and successes advancing equitable active transportation and physical activity, and how ...

Read More

National School Breakfast Week WINNERS



Thank you to all who shared their healthy breakfast pics during National School Breakfast Week (NSBW) on March 7-11. 2016. A whopping 300+ fun and yummy pictures were shared on social media! We at Salud America!, a Latino childhood obesity network funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and led by the Institute for Health Promotion Research at the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, were excited by the campaign participation, which partnered with the School Nutrition Association, Kids.gov, Dr. Jesus Rodriguez of Kaiser Permanente, the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, and Chef Johnny Hernandez. We randomly chose three winners for the grand prize of a Salud America! T-shirt and jump rope: 1. Jackie ...

Read More

Zumba Time! Dancing May Reduce Heart Disease Risks



A new study found that moderate-intensity dancing can lower a person's risk of dying from heart disease, which disproportionately affects Latinos, Reuters reports. The study included questions about frequency, duration, and intensity of dancing and walking over a four-week period. Only about 3,100 of the 48,000 people surveyed reported dancing of any intensity, and nearly two-thirds said they walked at any intensity. In the study's follow-up, heart disease had caused 1,714 deaths. People who reported moderate-intensity dancing and walking were less likely to die from cardiovascular disease than those who did not. “It is not surprising that moderate-intensity physical activity is protective against cardiovascular disease mortality,” lead author Dafna Merom of the University ...

Read More

“100% Natural” Produce Stickers for Breastfeeding Moms



BooneOakley, an ad agency in Charlotte, N.C., created a campaign promote breastfeeding that provides "100% Natural," "Locally Grown," and "Guaranteed Fresh" stickers as well as posters of women donning the stickers to any "baby-friendly" hospital. The stickers come with three different health messages: Reduces the risk of obesity by 24% Reduces the risk of SIDS by 36% Reduces the risk of asthma by 24% The idea is that "100% Natural" stickers reminds mothers that the best nutrition for their baby is breast milk. The stickers can also help nursing mothers keep track of which breast to feed their baby from next. The first hospital to use the stickers and posters is the Women and Babies Hospital in Lancaster, PA. Normalizing breastfeeding and encouraging nursing mothers ...

Read More

Incentive Policies That Can Create Opportunities for Physical Activity



Bridging the Gap: Research Informing Policies and Practices for Healthy Youth released their February 2016, Incentive Policies That Can Create Opportunities for Physical Activity research brief. They examined how likely children under 18 are to live in communities with policies that incentivize the development of active spaces, like sidewalks, parks, and trails, as a means to promote physical activity. Incentive policies include financial incentives, in-kind services, expedited permitting processes, or density/developmental bonuses related to zoning ordinances, subdivision regulations, and other general ordinances. Findings: Less than half of US children live in communities with incentive policies that promote physical activity. Policy implications: Local governments ...

Read More

Latinas: Eating One Strip of Bacon a Day Can Double Cancer Risk



Latinas who eat more processed meat (about a strip of bacon a day) had almost double the risk of breast cancer than Latinas who ate little or no meats, according to a new study, the Sacramento Bee reports. The study, led by the University of Southern California (USC) and one of the few to explore Latinas' meat consumption, found that Latinas who consumed daily more than 20 mg of processed meats, like sausage, bacon, and lunch meat, were 42% more likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer than Latinas who consumed less. The researchers didn't find a similar difference among white women who ate more processed meat. Addressing causes for the higher cancer risk among Latinas was not part of the study. The authors and researchers were solely focused on exploring whether eating ...

Read More