Editor's note: this is an update of a past change. View the past change at: Update: Chicago Considers State-Wide Sugary Drink Tax Mayor Emanuel listened to small businesses of Chicago, opting out on the recent proposals for a penny-per-ounce tax on sugary drinks. The American Beverage Association (ABA) reported on September 23rd that the beverage tax will not take final vote on the budget until October 28th of 2015. The ABA states they are supporting and protecting small business owners and that the taxes will hurt middle and low-income families trying to run their small businesses. The ordinance as currently proposed does not affect sugary drinks in fast food restaurants or otherwise dispensed by fountains, only those in bottles or cans. And what about the health of middle and ...
In this 2-year longitudinal study, investigators assessed four types of culturally based parental feeding practices in Mexican American mother's and fathers: restriction of amount of food, pressure to eat, use of food to control behavior, and positive involvement in child eating. Some parental feeding practices may have an unintended negative impact on children's weight. For example, results suggest that both mothers’ and fathers’ restriction of food predicted higher subsequent child weight status at Year 1. Additionally, child's weight may influence parental feeding practices. For example, girls’ heavier weight at Year 1 predicted fathers’ less pressure to eat and less positive involvement in child eating at Year 2. Feeding practices are modifiable factors. Latino mothers ...
Like many breast cancer survivors for Joan Treviño Lawhon her breast cancer detection started with a gut feeling. “My basic tests were within normal limits, but I had what I can only describe as a “gut feeling, “she says. “ I had some very supportive doctors who followed through on my instincts. It took five tests to confirm a malignancy.” As soon as she heard the diagnosis from her doctors and confirmed her “gut” feeling she immediately got into fighting mode. “We can freeze and let the disease consume us, or we can fight. My choice was to fight. I was going to make sure my choice was an informed one. My husband Garey had lost his valiant battle to pancreatic cancer the year before. I lost a brother to kidney cancer. I thought I would face “my cancer” alone.” Her ...
Over 15 million American children—approximately one in five—live in households that are food insecure at least some months of the year, according to a recent article. Feeding America reports that more than one in four Latino children (29%) live in food-insecure households as compared to one in seven (15%) White, non-Hispanic children. The risk for food insecurity is even higher for Latino families. More Latino families are learning about SNAP and WIC to assist with food insecurity, but many families are still struggling to have access to fresh fruits and vegetables. What can be done? Awareness is a great way to help families in need find out about resources and to help encourage those in support of food security to rise up and advocate for those in need. To learn ...
Stephanie Pitsirilos-Boquin, founder of Zoe Health, is using comic relief to talk about serious health issues in the Latino community, from breastfeeding and obesity prevention to affordable housing and gentrification. As the program manager for Choosing Healthy & Active Lifestyles for Kids (CHALK) and as a consultant with Zoe Health, she has helped businesses in Inwood (74% Latino) in northern Manhattan, NY, bridge commerce and community by modifying their services to provide healthier options for the past 10 years. She is a public health crusader working to build healthier homes, schools and communities to reduce Latino childhood obesity. In order to better develop health messages to resonate with Latinos, she is turning to the narrative. "In order to be an advocate, I ...
Did you know your child could consume up to 31,260 calories of unhealthy school foods and beverages in just one year! That is approximately 8.9 pounds of weight gain per year, according to a new graphic called "Food At School Parties", produced by the Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living. This graphic estimates the number of foods kids eat during one school year of school parties. It gives parents, teachers, and schools a closer look into how many unhealthy snacks are being served. Revealing that if students have more than forty plus parties in a school year, they will most likely consume at least one of everything ( a cookie, pizza slice, cupcake, juice box, serving of chips, etc.) at each party. Many families are not concerned with a few school festivities here and ...
The Network for Public Health Law will be moderating a webinar to examine how the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) can be leveraged to improve the public’s health. Although counterintuitive due to escalating obesity rates, food insecurity is a major problem in the US. Food insecurity is defined as the lack of access to affordable nutritious food. In America, low-income and minority populations are disproportionately burdened by obesity and food insecurity. Twenty-two percent of Latino households are food insecure, compared to 11 percent white households. SNAP is the largest nutrition assistance program for low-income Americans. In 2014, approximately 46.5 million Americans participated in SNAP and received approximately 70 billion dollars in food ...
A $200,000 grant was given to the Latino Economic Development Center to help low-income Latino and Hmong farmers by providing direct training and assistance to increase land ownership, profitability, and sustainability within Minnesota and western Wisconsin. This is just one grantee of many millions of dollars that is being given to support a future of diverse farmers and ranchers through the Farm Bill. Helping socially disadvantaged, tribal and veteran farmers and ranchers, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is making the healthier choice the easier choice in providing jobs for farmers and access to healthy foods for families across America. New farmers markets' provide fresh fruits and vegetables to Latinos across the nation. Helping support local farmers and ...
The Federal Drug Administration (FDA) is launching “Fresh Empire” a hip-hop themed anti-tobacco campaign targeted at Latinos and Blacks. “Unfortunately, the health burdens of tobacco use disproportionately affect minority teens – particularly African American and Hispanic youth,” said Jonca Bull, M.D., the FDA’s Assistant Commissioner for Minority Health in a press release. "The 'Fresh Empire' campaign will help reach teens at a key point in their lives when experimenting with smoking can lead to addiction." The “Fresh Start” campaign will target youth ages 12-17 with interactive content, songs and videos by up and coming hip hop artists. "We know from our research that remaining in control is an important pillar of hip-hop culture. But smoking represents a ...
