After-school programs are a great way for kids to learn new things, get ahead on school work, and just play around with friends. However, some after-school program leaders say they don't always have access to healthy, energizing snacks to hand out to hungry children. Some researchers at the Tufts University hope to change that. The Snack It Up pilot program was created by Healthy Kids Out of School, an initiative of ChildObesity180 at Tufts University in Medford, MA. Snack it Up connects selected out-of-school program with grocery providers to increase access to fresh fruits and vegetables for area children who participate in out-of-school activities. The Dallas-Fort Worth area, where Latinos make up 20% of the population, has been chosen as one of the pilot locations ...
When diabetic Hispanic seniors got education about the disease and how to manage it from community health workers, called promotores de salud in Latino communities, they positively changed their diabetes self-management behaviors and health outcomes, according to a recent pilot study. Now the study organizers, Humana Inc., are launching a larger study to test this effect of promotores and a culturally tailored diabetes self-management program. The new study, which partners with National Council of La Raza (NCLR), Mexican American Unity Council, and other partners, is a one-year test of the new model with 150 Hispanic seniors with type 2 diabetes in San Antonio, Texas. “We are very encouraged by the results of the pilot, which show that this approach to diabetes management ...
A popular community garden in San Francisco's Ingleside Heights neighborhood has been so successful with residents that Peter Vaernet, the man behind that garden, wants to plant a new one just a few blocks away in Merced Heights, on 2 undeveloped acres of the grassy promenade known as Brotherhood Way. Another garden may be a welcome addition for many reasons. This community is considered a food desert by the USDA. Nearly 15 percent of households in the area speak a language other than English at home, mostly Spanish and Asian languages, according to census data. The recent closing of a large neighborhood grocery store left only one other full-service grocery in the area, but that store's pricing is out of many families' budget. Thus, folks may welcome a new garden as ...
See what John Z Wetmore of Perils for Pedestrians has to say about developing more walkable communities. One great idea for developing safe places to walk is that of constructing sidewalks and trails along the same route that power lines are constructed. Local municipalities can enter shared-use agreements with utility companies to provide pedestrians with a place to walk. See some pictures and examples of sidewalks built along utility right-of-ways here. For more ideas and basic information on the development of pedestrian ways like sidewalks, and bridges, view the Perils for Pedestrians right of way trails and special topics page. If you have photos or know of a great example of a utility right of way trail, take a picture of it and send it in to Perils for Pedestrians, so that ...
Schools and parents in Miami Shores are joining the movement to make biking and walking to school easier for local students. This year students from three schools in Miami Shores---Doctors Charter School of Miami Shores, Miami Shores Community Church School, and St. Rose of Lima Parish---all joined in on the excitement of National Bike to School day. In this video, parent Patrice Gilspie-Smith speaks of a survey she is conducting to find out how parents feel about their kids walking to school. According to Gilspie-Smith, parents would love for their kids to walk to school, but they feel that the high traffic in the area is intimidating. Find out what other schools across the nation participated in Bike to School Day 2013 and learn how to get your local school involved, by visiting ...
Most physicians would agree that walking is a valuable way of getting necessary amounts of physical activity. It's free and it's healthy. But how many can say that they actually walk with their patients? Well Dr. David Sabgir, a cardiologist from Ohio, can! Now physicians all across the nation are joining Dr. Sabgir in getting their patients to walk! Perhaps there's a physician in your city who's also chosen to lead a walking group. To find out if a doctor near you is leading a walking group, check out the Walk With a Doc map. Or to join the network, visit the sign-up page. Physicians and clinics who join the network get: 1) A tool-kit: Steps for starting your walk (including templates for fliers,
posters, letterhead, etc)
2 ) Walk with a Doc T-shirts
3 ) Walk with a Doc ...
If you're working to encourage your community to walk, you might want to take a look at some of the work Walk Boston is doing!
First, view their "Walk Your Way to Health" Powerpoint presentation to learn about research that supports the many health benefits of walking. Walking can prevent obesity, heart disease, osteoporosis, and many other common ailments like diabetes and joint-pain. It can also promote healthier brain development and aid in memory retention. The development of more walkable communities also has economic and safety benefits! Then take a look at Walk Boston's walking resources to learn about more specific content such as walking in rural areas, information on laws, safe routes to school, community and data on the economic benefits of walking. Learn more by visiting ...
Sometime all we need a small nudge in the right direction to pick a healthy food over a not-so-healthy one. A team of doctors at Massachusetts General Hospital decided to see if little nudges would help people who ate in the hospital cafeteria make healthier food choices. They placed colored circles next to food items that indicated whether the food is a healthy option (green), an O.K. option (orange), or one to choose rarely (red circle). The study also tested "choice architecture"---making the healthy choices the easiest choices by making them front and center or placing them alongside popular foods. After six months, the number of red, unhealthy items purchased in the cafeteria dropped by 20 percent, while green purchases rose by 12 percent. Consumption of sugary sodas ...
Latino neighborhoods tend to have less access to fresh fruits and veggies. In Santa Ana, Calif., a high school that serves at-risk youth, offers a first-period gardening class. It started as a campus beautification project but ended in students growing healthy, nutritious food for their community in a unique, sustainable way using fish, called “aquaponics.”
The problem of 'spicy hot Cheetos'
The Academy, created by California philanthropists Susan Samueli and Sandi Jackson, is a unique high school for underserved teens in Santa Ana, Calif. The school opened in 2013 to maximize individual student attention and offers work-based and project-based learning, college readiness, and new technology. More than 80% of its students are Latino. When it comes to students diets, ...
