Which federal policies are most effective for reducing childhood obesity? According to a recent study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, two of the top policies are: 1. a penny-per-ounce ($0.01/ounce) tax on sugar sweetened beverages (soda tax); and 2. 60 minutes of daily after school physical activity for children. Through a microsimulation analysis, researchers were able to project the long-term impact of three federal policies, including the two named above, in addition to a policy that would ban fast food commercials on TV. While all three policies have the potential to reduce childhood obesity, the penny-per-ounce policy was deemed to have the highest impact. Not only would a soda tax reduce obesity by an estimated 2.4 percentage points ...
Healthcare systems across the country are reevaluating the types of beverages served on their campuses, and the Johns Hopkins Health System (JHHS) is the latest institution wanting to help their community make smarter, healthier drink choices. This September, five JHHS-affiliated facilities—Johns Hopkins Hospital, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, Howard County General Hospital, Suburban Hospital, and Sibley Memorial Hospital—will implement the Healthy Beverage Initiative, a program meant to help faculty, staff, and guests choose healthy options. Stickers will categorize every drink sold in vending machines, cafes, and cafeterias and at hospital-sponsored events. The lowest-calorie beverages, like water and unsweetened tea, will have a green sticker next to them. The sugary ...
U.S. Latinos care more about the environment than non-Latinos. In fact, Latinos care more about water, air and land conservation, protecting against wildfires and drought, and creating national parks and monuments, says research by the Sierra Club and the Latino Sustainability Institute, according to an article by Boulder Weekly. But why? Jobs, health, recreation, and culture/morality are big reasons, according to the article:
For starters, clean energy and conservation efforts provide jobs for the Latino community in the U.S. At nearly 11 percent unemployment, Latinos see initiatives like the American Jobs Act and renewable energy legislation as opportunities for gainful employment. In fact, three out of four Latinos believe renewable energy can bring immediate jobs to ...
Members of Bike Cleveland, the St. Clair Superior Development Corporation and Bialosky + Partners Architects---a group of bike activists, planners and architects---have come together to develop plans for a new network of protected bicycle lanes in Cleaveland, OH (10% Latino). For two years, the group has worked on a plan they call "The Midway" project. The plan seeks to transform former streetcar lines into bike lanes. In order to move forward with the project, the group will apply for $250,000 grant from the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency's (NOACA) Transportation for Livable Communities Initiative grant. Although, the grant would only cover a fraction of the $1.2 - $1.7 million per mile that the project is expected to cost, this is still much less than the costs ...
Childhood obesity affects the entire country, but it does not affect all communities equally. Children and all people living in underserved communities are likely to face greater challenges in reversing patterns of inactivity and poor health. The Safe Routes to School National Partnership is seeking to reverse childhood obesity by providing technical assistance to campaign efforts related to shared use agreements and street scale improvements in underserved communities. The deadline for applications is September 26, 2014. Click here to learn more. To apply, simply describe your community need in detail on this application form and submit via email to activeplaces@saferoutespartnership.org. For more updates ...
Small-scale farming in the city is risky business, especially if you don't own the land you're farming. Low profit and high rent can leave these urban spaces to grow healthy food to dry up. Brooke Budner and Caitlyn Galloway, the co-founders of San Francisco’s Little City Gardens, understand this better than anyone. They don’t own the three-quarter acre lot they farm and scrape by on a month-to-month lease. A new law proposed by California Assemblyman Phil Ting (who represents San Francisco and San Mateo) might give Little City Gardens a bit more security so the small business can thrive. The idea is simple: Property owners who commit to leasing their land to agricultural enterprises for at least 10 years will be able to receive a re-valuation of their parcels that will ...
U.S. adult obesity rates remained high overall, and highest among Latino adults and children, according to a new report. The report, The State of Obesity: Better Policies for a Healthier America by the Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), found that adult obesity rates did not decrease in any states, increased in six states, and now exceed 35% for the first time in two states, and are not below 21% in any. Highest rates: Mississippi and West Virginia (35.1%), Arkansas (34.6%), and Tennessee (33.7%). Lowest rates: Colorado (21.3%), Hawaii (21.8%), Washington, D.C. (22.9%), and Massachusetts (23.6%). Disparities persist, with adult obesity rates the highest in the South and among Latinos, Blacks, and lower-income, less-educated ...
What happens when youth are given the opportunity to lead their classmates toward a healthier school environment? The results might just amaze you! Teens involved in the 20-20 Leadership program at JC Harmon High School, a 58% Latino school in Kansas City, Kan., learned about the county’s high obesity rates—and they decided to do something about it. They developed plans for a healthy hub at Harmon High and later came up with the win-for-all solution of developing an outdoor fitness trail on school grounds. Now the school has a half-mile fitness trail and students plan to continue enhancing fitness opportunities by installing outdoor exercise equipment along the trail.
EMERGENCE
Awareness: D’Angelo Hicks was a junior at Harmon High when he first joined 20/20 Leadership, a 10-15 ...
U.S. adult obesity rates remained high overall, and highest among Latino adults and children, according to a new report. The report, The State of Obesity: Better Policies for a Healthier America by the Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), found that adult obesity rates did not decrease in any states, increased in six states, and now exceed 35% for the first time in two states, and are not below 21% in any. Highest rates: Mississippi and West Virginia (35.1%), Arkansas (34.6%), and Tennessee (33.7%). Lowest rates: Colorado (21.3%), Hawaii (21.8%), Washington, D.C. (22.9%), and Massachusetts (23.6%). Disparities persist, with adult obesity rates the highest in the South and among Latinos, Blacks, and lower-income, less-educated ...
