According to a local news article, by this summer local convenient stores and large chain stores who sell food in the city of Minneapolis must offer healthier fresh food options. Most corner stores throughout the nation offer junk foods, that are usually high in sodium, added sugars and low in nutritious benefit- an unhealthy food environment for Latinos- who are currently reported to have the highest rates of obesity in the city (31.7% of Latino Adults Obese) and the overall nation. This new law is the first of it's kind in the nation, hoping to help combat diabetes, obesity, and other diet-related health risks by offering more convenient access and healthier foods throughout the city's corner stores and convenience stores. The law asks businesses to stock protein items, milk, ...
Potatoes are an important ingredient in many popular Latino dishes, such as papas con carne, caldos and papas horneadas. New research suggests eating this popular South American vegetable more than four times a week can raise the risk for high blood pressure—a condition that affects millions of Latinos in the U.S, Health Day reports. According to researchers who analyzed data from more than 180,000 people who took part in three different studies in the U.S., eating baked, boiled, or mashed potatoes is linked with an 11% increased risk; eating fried potatoes is linked to a 17% risk. “Potatoes have what's called a high glycemic index compared with other vegetables," said lead researcher Dr. Lea Borgi. "[That] can trigger a sharp rise in blood sugar, which might explain the ...
Open Enrollment for health insurance as part of the Affordable Care Act through a 2106 Marketplace plan is over. However, for those who qualify for Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), you can get health insurance any time of year, with coverage starting immediately. Medicaid provides health coverage for many low-income families and children, pregnant women, the elderly, and people with disabilities. Many states have expanded their Medicaid programs to cover all people below particular income levels. CHIP provides the same type of low-cost health coverage to children in families that are above the pay threshold for Medicaid. In some states, CHIP is provided to pregnant women, as well. According to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), 95% of ...
On March 31, 2016, Tennessee Governor, Bill Haslam, signed a new bill which increases the weekly requirements for physical activity in grades K-6. The new law will go into effect in July 2016 requiring 225 minutes of physical activity per week for Tennessee (5% Latino) students in grades K-1, and 160 minutes per week for students in grades 2-6. This is a drastic increase from the previous requirement of 90 minutes per week for all grades, although students in grades 7-12 will still only receive 90 minutes. More specifically, the law requires a minimum of three 15-minutes periods of non-structured physical activity at least four days a week for grades K-1, and a minimum of two 20-minutes periods of non-structured physical activity at least four days a week for grades 2-6. Many ...
Los datos de los Centros para el Control y Prevención de Enfermedades (CDC) revelan que, en 2014, la hepatitis C mató a más de 19,600 estadounidenses, y ahora es más letal que las 60 enfermedades infecciosas conocidas, incluyendo el VIH y la tuberculosis, informa The Daily Mail. "Debido a que la hepatitis C a menudo tiene pocos síntomas notorios, el número de nuevos casos es probablemente mucho mayor de lo que se informó," dijo John W. Ward, M. D., director de la División de Hepatitis Viral de la CDC. "Debido a la detección y el subregistro limitado, se estima que el número de nuevas infecciones está más cerca de 30,000 por año. Debemos actuar ahora para diagnosticar y tratar las infecciones ocultas antes de que sean mortales y para prevenir nuevas infecciones." La ...
According to a recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 8 in 10 public pools in the U.S. are not up to code, BabyCenter reports. The CDC reports that, out of 48,000 public pools across the country, 8 in 10 had at least one safety violation and 1 in 8 had to be closed immediately. “Environmental health practitioners, or public health inspectors, play a very important role in protecting public health. However, almost one-third of local health departments do not regulate, inspect, or license public pools, hot tubs, and water playgrounds,” said Michele Hlavsa, chief of CDC’s Healthy Swimming Program. “We should all check for inspection results online or on site before using public pools, hot tubs, or water playgrounds and do our own inspection ...
The BUILD Initiative works with early childhood leaders within states and nationally to better prepare young children to thrive and succeed. They developed a Community Systems Development Toolkit tailored to the needs of community-based collaboration and organized in systems change theory to provide communities interested in or engaged in collaborative work with comprehensive resources that cover the full spectrum of community systems and coordination work Watch BUILD Initiatives new video that explains their work and why taking a systems building approach is key to helping young children thrive! Share this video and toolkit with parents, educators, doctors, social workers, park district coordinators, business leaders, and policymakers who support healthy environments for ...
A new report from the Heartland Regional Health Equity Council addressed the disparities in heart disease in four Midwest states: Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska. The Heart Disease Disparities Report provides an overview of the demographics and heart disease disparities in these states. Chronic conditions, such as heart disease, stroke, cancer, and diabetes are among the most frequent and costly health conditions in the United States. Latinos are disproportionately burdened by many of these chronic illnesses. The data in the report covers the time period from 2000 to 2010. The data was collected from numerous sources, including online tools, state health department offices, and surveys. Some of the findings from the report include dramatic Latino population increases in the four ...
In Las Cruces, NM city council members will meet today, May 23, 2016, to discuss plans for expanding the local agriculture and food environment, through a comprehensive Urban Agriculture and Food Policy plan, developed by local non-profit La Semilla Food Center. Exactly what is urban agriculture (UA)? The idea is to inform leaders about the many forms, benefits and opportunities that UA has to offer the local community. UA is the practice of cultivating, processing, and distributing food in and around towns and cities. Through UA communities are no longer held to the idea that local growing is just for farmers or rural communities, but in reality schools, churches, local businesses, housing authorities, residents and virtually anyone with a desire to grow and produce their ...
