Dallas Considers Updating Urban Agriculture Policy to Improve Healthy Food Access



City leaders in Dallas, TX want to revamp the city's urban farming policies to allow more folks in Dallas to grow and sell their own fresh food. Many areas around town don't have a large grocery store near by, making it hard for neighbors to buy fresh, healthy food. Advocates see city gardens as one solution to diet-related illnesses that often plague those without easy grocery store access. The Office of Environmental Quality presented their plan to restructure the rules around city gardening to the Dallas City Council Economic Development Committee who endorsed it on November 17, 2014. The city already passed a community garden ordinance in 2011, but many city leaders believe it needs an update to encourage healthier eating, sustainability, and job creation. Currently, for ...

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Report: Latino Kids Face Increased Sugary Drink Ads



Spanish-language TV advertising for sugary drinks and energy shots increased by 44% over the past few years, according to a new report. The report, Sugary Drink FACTS 2014, updates the Yale Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity's 2011 research on sugary drinks and advertising to children. The report highlights industry progress but also indicates that companies still have a long way to go to improve their marketing practices and the nutritional quality of their youth-marketed products. This is particularly relevant to Latino youth, who consume more sugary drinks than their white peers, with 74% of Latinos having their first sugary drink before age 2. Some progress was made in marketing to Latino kids: On Spanish-language TV, Kraft Foods and Red Bull eliminated virtually ...

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Webinar: How to Bring Healthy School Fundraisers to Your School!



Looking for some great ways to get junk food out of schools? Join the Fit to Learn Webinar Series for some great tips on how to bring healthier fundraising alternatives to your school. Topic: Beyond the Bake Sale: Effective and Healthy Fundraising Strategies Date: Thursday, November 20, 2014 Time: 9:30 - 10:30 a.m. (CST) Register for this webinar here. This webinar has already occurred, view the taping of it ...

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Vote for Best New Video on Sugary Drinks & Marketing; Enter to Win a Prize!



We are unveiling six new videos of #SaludHeroes who reduced surgary drinks and improved healthy marketing for Latino kids. Watch the videos, vote for your favorite, and be entered into a drawing for a free T-shirt and jump rope! The videos are: A no-soda resolution in Texas. Water on every desk in California. Schools swap out sugary drinks in Virginia. Grocery stores tag healthy food in California. Fresh marketing for a corner store in California. L.A. corner store gets a marketing makeover. Vote for your favorite by Dec. 10, 2014. The video with the most votes gets a featured space on the new #SaludHeroes YouTube channel. See contest rules and more information here. The contest is directed by Salud America!, a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation program to ...

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A Call to Action: Georgia’s Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP) 2014-2016



In order to provide Georgia's residents with improved opportunities for outdoor recreation, a taskforce including various outdoor recreation providers, crafted a clear and comprehensive plan, called Georgia's Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan  (SCORP) 2014-2016. This is Georgia's official policy to guide outdoor recreation, which enables the state to be eligible to receive funds from the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). The plan provides an overview of current trends for outdoor activity in Georgia as well as information on the economic impact of outdoor recreation on consumer spending. Many of the states' short-term challenges as well as the emerging situations in regards to outdoor recreation are detailed in the plan, along with measurable and defined ...

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Report: Latino Kids Face Increased Sugary Drink Ads



Spanish-language TV advertising for sugary drinks and energy shots increased by 44% over the past few years, according to a new report. The report, Sugary Drink FACTS 2014, updates the Yale Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity's 2011 research on sugary drinks and advertising to children. The report highlights industry progress but also indicates that companies still have a long way to go to improve their marketing practices and the nutritional quality of their youth-marketed products. This is particularly relevant to Latino youth, who consume more sugary drinks than their white peers, with 74% of Latinos having their first sugary drink before age 2. Some progress was made in marketing to Latino kids: On Spanish-language TV, Kraft Foods and Red Bull eliminated virtually ...

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Report: Latino Outreach Crucial to Success of Second Health Care Open Enrollment



Bilingual materials, the availability of navigators, and community outreach to answer questions about deadlines, eligibility and financial help would improve Latino participation in enrolling in or renewing health insurance under the second year of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), according to a report by the National Council of La Raza (NCLR). The second ACA open enrollment began Nov. 15, 2014, and ends Feb. 15, 2015. Information and enrollment applications are available at www.HealthCare.gov and www.CuidadoDeSalud.gov or by calling 1-800-318-2596. Also learn more at a #SaludTues Tweetchat on insurance at 1 p.m. ET Tuesday, Dec. 9. Census data shows the number of uninsured Latinos declined slightly, but other data show Latinos were still 23% uninsured after the first year of ...

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Salud America! Leaders Given Prestigious Communication Award


Dr. Melawhy Garcia, Exito! Program Graduate

Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez and Mr. Kip Gallion, the leaders of Salud America! and the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at The UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, today were named co-recipients of the Everett M. Rogers Public Health Communication Award from the American Public Health Association (APHA). Ramirez is an internationally recognized expert in health disparities research and outreach. Gallion is an accomplished health communications producer and researcher. Working together for more than 20 years, Ramirez and Gallion have developed robust health communication models, research interventions, community outreach, public and scientific speaking engagements, and training of young minds—which have contributed to reduced cancer and disease among Latinos, ...

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Join Us for #SaludTues 11/18/14: What Does Thanksgiving Mean to Latinos?



How do Latinos celebrate Thanksgiving? There are many ways to celebrate Thanksgiving with different foods, family celebrations, and traditions! So let’s find out what Thanksgiving means to Latinos, and how they celebrate! The chat is co-hosted by Salud America!, Latina Lista and Mamas Con Poder (via @SaludToday, @LatinaLista & @MamasConPoder): WHAT: #SaludTues Tweetchat: “What does Thanksgiving mean to Latinos?” DATE: Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2014 TIME: Noon CST (1:00 PM ET) WHERE: On Twitter with hashtag #SaludTues HOST: @SaludToday CO-HOSTS: @LatinaLista @MamasConPoder We’ll open the floor to your stories and experiences as we explore: Thanksgiving traditions of Latinos, Both traditional Thanksgiving and Latino recipes for the holiday, Activities ...

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