Policy solutions aimed at the prevention and management of type II diabetes are often similar to those involved with obesity prevention. This report prepared by the Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation of Harvard Law School provides useful information related policy for both obesity and diabetes prevention. Access the report ...
Read MorePartnership opportunities exist at all levels of collecting data including state agencies, local jurisdictions, universities, and others. Check out this report from the Safe Routes to School National Partnership to learn more about collecting data effectively and improving modeling. Access the Improving Modeling and Data Collection for Active Transportation Report ...
Read MoreAre children in the US getting enough physical activity? According to the 2014 National Report Card on Physical Activity---a report put together by the National Physical Activity Plan Alliance---levels of physical activity for children could be improved. Findings from the report indicated that only 13% of children nationwide used active transportation and only 8% of 12-15 year olds participated in a minimum of 60 minutes of physical activity a day. According to a blog post from the Safe Routes National Partnership report cards like these can be used to inform policy makers, schools, and other stakeholders about the great need to improve the state of physical activity programming in the country. Read the Executive Summary here. View the full report ...
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Chicha Limeña, a sugary drink mainly targeted at Hispanics in the Tri state area, has been ordered by the New York State Attorney General to stop making unfounded health claims. Marketers of the non-carbonated fruit drink claimed that the beverage could cure diabetes, cancer, and other diseases. "While soft drinks may market the advantages of their products, they may not make unsubstantiated claims that their products have the potential to prevent or cure serious health problems,” said state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman in a New York Daily News article. The Chicha Limena website now reads: “This product is not intended to treat, cure or prevent any disease.” According to an article in Medical Daily, one bottle of Chicha Limena accounts for two days’ ...
Read MoreAccording to this report, in schools with a Safe Routes to School program, 32.4% of children walked to school compared to only 20.2% in schools without a Safe Routes to School program. Budget cuts to transportation as well as increased childhood obesity rates, a need to decrease traffic, and a desire to improve community safety, are all reasons why transportation departments should work collaboratively with Safe Routes to School partners. Learn more about how both sectors can work together in the Safe Routes National Partnership's Buses, Boots, & Bicycles ...
Read MoreKids in New York City (NYC) have the right idea when it comes to walking! According to the New York City Department of Transportation (DOT), the majority of students in NYC already walk to and from school. In order to keep kids excited about walking, the DOT created the We're Walking Here contest. The purpose of the campaign was to encourage students to think about and share their walking experiences with others, through a public service announcement (PSA). Both the New York Department of Education (DOE) and the DOT support as many kids walking to school as possible. For the 2013-2014 over 200 NYC schools registered on-line to win prizes like t-shirts, pedometers and sun glasses. From encouraging better health and exercise to reducing pollution, walking to school offers many ...
Read MoreHow can YOU... ...get sports in public elementary schools? (Page 1) ...find the latest obesity solutions? (Page 2) ...add veggies to a meat market? (Page 3) ...help mobilize Latina moms? (Page 6) Find out in the latest Salud America! E-newsletter. Salud America! The RWJF Research Network to Prevent Obesity Among Latino Children is a national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The program aims to unite and increase the number of Latino stakeholders engaged in community change and research on environmental and policy solutions to the epidemic. The network is directed by the Institute for Health Promotion Research at The UT Health Science Center at San Antonio. Don’t forget to share your stories at our new Salud America! Growing Healthy Change ...
Read MoreTogether communities & parents can make a real difference in the health of their children. That's why in 2005, the National Institutes of Health launched the We Can (Ways to Enhance Children’s Activity & Nutrition) curriculum, to enhance children's activity and nutrition. The curriculum includes a toolkit for community action as well as a parent guide to guide families in eating right and staying active. Other evidence based resources available on the website include: Media-Smart Youth: Eat, Think, and Be Active!® – A Curriculum for Youth EatPlayGrow™ – A Curriculum for Families with Young Children, and Caregivers of Children I Can Do It, You Can Do It! – A curriculum for youth and adults with disabilities CATCH® Kids Club – A Curriculum for ...
Read MoreCreating environments that are safe and conducive to physical activity is important for encouraging Latino Youth to be active. In this research article, researchers Cynthia Perry, Brian Saelens, and Beti Thompson found that a higher quality of parks and amenities were associated with greater participation in after school programming among Latinos. Learn more about what researchers found in the following article: Rural Latino Youth Park Use: Characteristics, Park Amenities, and Physical ...
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