Research has long shown that U.S. Latinos face higher rates of diabetes and obesity. But are there differences among Mexicans? Cubans? Puerto Ricans? The Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL), the first long-term study to look exclusively at the health of Latinos, is studying heart disease, obesity, and diabetes among a cohort of more than 16,000 U.S. Latino adults of Mexican, Cuban, Puerto Rican, Dominican, South American and Central American heritage in the Bronx, Chicago, San Diego and Miami areas, the American Heart Association (AHA) reports. For diabetes, a study of this cohort found that adults of South American heritage have the lowest rate of diabetes. Only about 10 percent of them have diabetes compared with about 18 percent of persons of ...
How can busy families stay healthy? Dr. Amelie Ramirez, a San Antonio health expert and leader of SaludToday, said it's going to take individual and systemic change. For systems, that means more local farmer's markets. Healthier cafeteria food. More physical activity programs during school, and opening playgrounds to families after school. For people, that means staying away from the middle aisles at the grocery store, where junk food is prevalent. Parents making healthy meals with kids. Make a game of reading food labels. Limiting screen time. More outdoor play time. Ramirez was featured this week on the Making Awesome Changes TV series, which partners San Antonio's KSAT-TV and Salud America! to feature people pushing for healthy changes. Salud America!, a Latino ...
Latino students tend to have more access to unhealthy food at school and are less physically active than their peers, according to a Salud America! research review and animated video. That's why we need more schools like Blanca E. Sanchez Elementary in South Texas. School officials at Sanchez Elementary, just 10 miles from the Mexican border in McAllen, Texas (85% Latino), wanted to help their students overcome language barriers and limited resources to achieve healthy minds and healthy weight. So they started taking kids out for a morning recess. Started providing activity breaks throughout the day. Earned a $25,000 national physical fitness grant to do more. Teachers also instruct students on healthy eating at school and home. Now, thanks to their efforts and support from ...
Get ready! On Oct. 5, Salud America! will launch a free online tool where people can select their own county and get customized data on food access, activity, and equity issues compared to the state and nation. The tool, called the Salud Report Card, will also offer policy solutions, case studies, and share-ability to inspire people to start and support healthy changes in their communities. We're inviting parents, teachers, and local leaders to a webinar to explore the new Salud Report Card tool and how to use it at 1 p.m. CST Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2016. "We see the Salud Report Card as a great way for activists, parents, educators, and healthcare professionals to take action by engaging local leaders in conversations that will create healthier communities for Latino kids and the ...
Are people in your city physically inactive? Community leaders in largely Latino San Antonio knew people weren't active enough, and had high risk of heart disease, diabetes, asthma, stroke, depression, stress, and more. So the city's Parks and Recreation Department helped launch Fit Pass and Fitness in the Park—two accessible, affordable strategies to attract Latino and all residents to be active at local parks and improve their mental and physical health. The city's excited progress is featured in a new Rivard Report article and Salud Heroes story by Amanda Merck of Salud America!, a national Latino childhood obesity prevention network based at the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio. For Fitness in the Park, city health worker Pete Garcia and his team developed a plan ...
Lacking access to and opportunities for physical activity is one of the big reasons Latino kids are more overweight and obese than their peers, and suffer more disease. So, what can we do to make physical activity a daily part of the lives for Latino kids? Join a new webinar from 3-4 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2016, to help learn about policy change and systems-change efforts taking place across the country to ensure physical activity is a meaningful part of the lives of all children. Sponsored by the National Council of La Raza (NCLR) and including Salud America!, the webinar will bring together a panel to highlight successful efforts that have been accomplished throughout the country. The webinar panel includes: David Thomsen, Policy Analyst, Health Policy Project, ...
By Patti Suppe, P.E. Teacher, Loma Vista Middle School, Riverside, Calif.
SaludToday Guest Blogger At Loma Vista Middle School, we have a vision that all students will realize their unlimited potential. Our goal is for them to excel in all areas of their middle school education, from academics to physical fitness and co-curricular activities. As a physical education teacher, I know first-hand the importance of health and wellness in achieving this goal. That’s why we enrolled in the Alliance for a Healthier Generation’s Healthy Schools Program, funded in part by Kaiser Permanente in select U.S. cities, including Riverside. The Program has had a huge impact on our school achieving our wellness goals. This year, we were named one of America’s Healthiest Schools – and were ...
About 14% of all American households didn’t have reliable access to enough affordable, nutritious food in 2014. People in Latino households were hungrier and less nourished than in white households. Also, Latinos often live in neighborhoods with more fast food restaurants and fewer supermarkets and farmers’ markets. This leads to inadequate consumption of healthy foods and overconsumption of unhealthy foods, according to Latino-focused research. Let’s use #SaludTues on Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2016 to tweet about these trends and innovative methods of solving Latino hunger and malnutrition issues. WHAT: #SaludTues Tweetchat: “How to Solve Latino Malnutrition and Hunger”
TIME/DATE: 1-2 p.m. ET (Noon-1 p.m. CT), Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2016
WHERE: On Twitter with hashtag ...
Maryflor Peña of Phoenix started to gain weight in sixth grade. She’d gained 65 pounds by the seventh grade, eating more pasta, more tacos, more everything. At age 12, Maryflor was diagnosed with high blood pressure, high cholesterol and a fatty liver — ailments common in overweight and obese children and adults. A pediatric specialist told Maryflor and her parents that she must start eating healthy and exercising or would face a future of heart disease and diabetes. The teen, with the help of her parents, embarked on a weight-loss journey that has helped improve her vital signs and eventually spurred health improvement among her family members, according to a profile story by the American Heart Association. Latino children are far more obese and overweight than their ...
