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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

Middle Schoolers Develop Health Education Program for Elementary Students



In 2010, Corpus Christi, Texas, was labeled the “fattest city in the nation” by Men’s Health magazine. A group of local middle school students were not happy about this designation and wanted to do something about it. After speaking to friends and teachers, the students reached out to influential community members to develop interest and support for a health program for elementary students called “Mission FitPossible.” Three years later, the students were high school students and they would wake up an hour early to bring Mission FitPossible to nearby elementary students. Next Generation to Inherit Fattest City in Texas Corpus Christi, Texas (59.7% Latino), was labeled the “fattest city in the nation” in 2010. Sarita Damaraju and Doug Hagemeister, who were ...

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5 Things to Do (and Not Do) about Halloween Candy


Children Dressed In Trick Or Treating Costumes On Lawn Halloween

SaludToday Guest Blogger Jefferson Dental Clinics What’s scarier than ghosts, goblins and witches this Halloween?   Sugar. One night of trick-or-treating and candy-eating may not be a big deal, but prolonged consumption of sugary treats can wear on tooth enamel. Dental health is a good reason for parents to teach moderation when it comes to sugary treats, helping kids learn that treats are special and not for snacking on all day or night long. A good time have limited treats is after a large meal, when saliva production is at its peak from breaking down your food. Here's five things to avoid or allow on Halloween: 1. Avoid: Hard candies. Jawbreakers and suckers that slowly dissolve in your mouth can be especially harmful because of the amount of time the ...

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#SaludTues Tweetchat 1p ET 10/27/15: “Fall Celebrations & Candy Alternatives”


Parent Taking Children Trick Or Treating At Halloween

Kids are marketed to about candy and junk food, especially during fall celebrations, like Halloween and Dia de los Muertos. These sugary beverages and sweets do not produce a culture of health and well being, but are tempting during the holidays. Some kids are more at risk for diabetes and obesity. What can we do? Let’s use #SaludTues to tweet information, resources, and tips that can help kids and families reduce their risk of sugar and it’s dangers. Follow #SaludTues to join the conversation. WHAT: #SaludTues Tweetchat:  “Fall Celebrations & Candy Alternatives” DATE: Tuesday, October 27, 2015 TIME: 1-2 p.m. ET (Noon-1 p.m. CT) WHERE: On Twitter with hashtag #SaludTues HOST: @SaludAmerica CO-HOSTS: Center for Science in the Public Interest CSPI ...

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#SaludTues Tweetchat 10/20/15: Quitting Smoking with the Help of Technology


fda cigarette graphic warning labels quit smoking

Technology is a promising way to help smokers quit, given the dire health and cancer consequences of smoking. What technologies are working? Let’s use #SaludTues on Oct. 20, 2015, to tweet information, resources, and tips that can uncover the ways technology can help people kick the habit now (and for good!): WHAT: #SaludTues Tweetchat: “Quitting Smoking with the Help of Technology” TIME/DATE: 1-2 p.m. ET (Noon-1 p.m. CT), Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2015 WHERE: On Twitter with hashtag #SaludTues HOST: @SaludAmerica CO-HOST: The CDC (@CDCTobaccoFree) SPECIAL GUEST: The American Lung Association (@LungAssociation) We’ll open the floor to your stories and experiences as we explore: How much do people smoke (and why quit)? What technologies are emerging to ...

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Turn Your Phone into a Personal Coach to Help You Quit Smoking!


Quitxt Quit Smoking

Smoking is a tough opponent to beat. Quitxt is a new free service that turns your mobile phone into a personal coach to help you quit smoking, using interactive and entertaining text messages, online support, hip-hop music, and videos designed for South Texas young adults by researchers at UT Health San Antonio. The service’s text messages help with motivation to quit, setting a quit date, finding things to do instead of smoking, handling stress, using nicotine replacement if needed, and more. To join Quitxt in English, text “iquit” to 844-332-2058.   For Spanish, text “lodejo” to 844-332-2058.   “Text-message applications have scientifically proven to roughly double one’s odds of quitting smoking, so we developed Quitxt specifically for young adults to ...

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Hospitals Could be doing More to Implement Breastfeeding Friendly Practices


Mother breastfeeding her baby in hospital room Breastfeeding Friendly Practices

Of the approximately four million babies born in the United States every year, only about 14 percent are born in Baby-Friendly hospitals, The Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative established 10 Steps to Successful Breastfeeding in 1989, which were endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics in 2009. However, a recent study found that many hospitals still do not implement these 10 Steps. Breastfeeding has numerous health benefits, including reduced childhood obesity, but many mothers face challenges to breastfeed. Maternal experiences during the birth hospitalization show that a hospital's policies and practices affect a mother's ability to establish and maintain breastfeeding. In the six-year study, Maternity Practices in Infant Nutrition and Care, investigators compare ...

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Webinar 9/30: How to Get Healthier Drinks for Kids


Healthier Drinks for Latino Kids

Some kids consume more sugary drinks than average. This contributes to high rates of overweight/obesity. What can be done? You're invited to join a webinar at 2 p.m. ET Wednesday, Sept. 30, to learn about new local and national efforts to improve kids' access to healthy drinks. The webinar, sponsored by the national Council of La Raza (NCLR) and including Salud America!, is bringing together a panel of experts to highlight successful efforts from across the country to improve beverage choices and healthy environments in schools and other community settings: Rosalie P. Aguilar, MS, Project Coordinator, Salud America! David Thomsen, Policy Analyst, Health Policy Project, NCLR Anisha Patel, MD, Assistant Professor, Division of General Pediatrics, University of California, ...

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Hospital Teams with Schools to Boost Wellness for Florida Students



RJ Manchester and Erica Asti, staffers at the Florida Hospital for Children, along with Dr. Angela Fals and her team, spent years working with obese children and families in their Central Florida CCFW clinic. The local childhood overweight and obesity rates ranged from 32% in Orange County (28.7% Latino population) to 64% in Osceola County (48.6% Latino). The team was growing increasingly concerned about younger and younger patients with obesity-related health complications. “We were having some of the youngest patients we’ve ever had in the weight and wellness clinic with pre-diabetes and diabetes,” Asti said. They wanted to step up in a big way. An Underlying Issue: No P.E. Asti and Manchester and the CCFW team discovered that many parents misidentified their ...

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#SaludTues Tweetchat 1p ET 9/22/15: “Building Healthier Communities Through Schools”


Small school children sitting at the desk in classroom, eating fruit for snack. High-Fiber Diet

Schools are part of a community. Schools also make a huge influence in a child’s health. How can schools help build health within their communities? Let’s use #SaludTues to tweet information, resources, and tips that help schools, teachers, families and students take charge of health in their communities. WHAT: #SaludTues Tweetchat: “Building Healthier Communities Through Schools” DATE: Tuesday, September 22, 2015 TIME: 1-2 p.m. ET (Noon-1 p.m. CT) WHERE: On Twitter with hashtag #SaludTues HOST: @SaludAmerica CO-HOSTS: It’s Time Texas (@ITSTIME), Shape America (@Shape_America), Healthy Kids Today (@HealthyKids2Day)  and our special guest, Transformative Schools Network (@Cr8HlthySchools) Be sure to use the hashtag #SaludTues to follow the ...

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