Congratulations to Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, director of Salud America! at UT Health San Antonio, on being selected for the Bluebonnet Award of the Texas Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics! This honor recognizes an individual who is not a dietitian, but who has contributed significantly to promote and advance nutrition in Texas and beyond. Ramirez will be formally recognized during the annual conference of the Texas Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics on April 11, 2019, in Arlington, Texas. “I’m very thankful for this award from the Texas Academy, which is a recognition of our ongoing work to promote healthy food access for Latinos in Texas and across the nation,” Ramirez said.
Dr. Ramirez & Her Work to Advance Nutrition
Ramirez currently directs the Salud America! ...
We already know that nearly a million SNAP participants could be affected by the Trump Administration’s proposed rule to tighten SNAP work requirements. However, there’s more bad news. The vast majority of those potentially impacted reside in deep poverty and live alone, according to a new analysis released by Mathematica, which is funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. “No one in America should go hungry or live in poverty,” said Giridhar Mallya, senior program officer at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, in a press release. “The findings of this analysis show that USDA’s proposed rule would disproportionately affect some of the most vulnerable SNAP participants. USDA should carefully consider whether this change promotes the ultimate goal of the SNAP ...
8 out of 10 food TV ads seen by Latino kids are for junk food, according to a recent study. Each year food companies spend billions of dollars on food advertising. The gap continues to rise in how much junk food is advertised to Latino and black children compared to white children. Why are Latino and Black children targeted by junk food ads? What impact does this have on their health and overall disparities? Find out at a new webinar on April 4, 2019, with Salud America! and its partners to learn more about exactly which companies and brands are marketing junk food products to minority groups.
Register for the Webinar!
Here are the details for the April 4 webinar below! Webinar: Unhealthy Food Advertising Targeted to Hispanic and Black Youth
Hosts: UConn Rudd Center ...
Childhood obesity is getting worse over time, especially for Latinos. Researchers in Texas (39.4% Latino) recently released a data explorer that illustrates trends in body mass index of school-aged children in their state (52% Latino). It also reveals underlying factors in obesity, such as dietary behaviors and physical activity. The information showed many disparities, especially in the Latino community — numbers that could call for statewide, national conversation and legislation concerning childhood obesity.
Need for Obesity Reduction
U.S. Latino children have the highest rates of childhood obesity (25.8%), as compared to their black (22%) and white (14.1%) peers. In Texas, 27.3% of Latino 8th graders have obesity compared to 16% of their white peers. Obesity is ...
Good nutrition is linked to positive health outcomes. On the other hand, unhealthy eating is the leading risk factor for death, causing more than 500,000 U.S. deaths in 2016. This is bad news for Latinos who lack access to healthy foods and nutrition education. Join #SaludTues on Tuesday, March 19, 2019, to spread the word about what can be done to promote better nutrition and chronic disease prevention in Latino and all communities. WHAT: #SaludTues Tweetchat: Celebrating National Nutrition Month
TIME / DATE: 1-2 p.m. ET (Noon-1 p.m. CT), Tuesday, 3/19/19
WHERE: On Twitter with hashtag #SaludTues
HOST: @SaludAmerica
CO-HOSTS: Alliance For a Healthier Generation (@HealthierGen), MomsRising (@MomsRising) & ChapCare (ChapCareOrg).
OPTIONAL HASHTAG: ...
The SNAP federal food assistance program is at risk again, and YOU CAN HELP! The Trump Administration wants to cut SNAP and could abolish food aid to 750,000 Americans who are underemployed and unemployed. This could fuel hunger and poverty among those most vulnerable, says the Food Research & Action Center. SNAP cuts would hurt Latinos, who are already less likely to seek nutrition help for fear of immigration penalties. You can make a public comment to USDA on SNAP until April 2, 2019.
How to Submit a Comment to Save SNAP!
1. Copy one of our Salud America! model comments. Tweak the parts in green:
SNAP HAS VALUE I am a NAMEOFPROFESSION in NAMEOFPLACE. I really value the SNAP program in my community. SNAP is proven to improve the economy, according to a Salud America! ...
Disparities in advertising for unhealthy food continue to target Latino and Black youth, according to a new report from Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity at the University of Connecticut, the Council on Black Health at Drexel University, and Salud America! at UT Health San Antonio. Eight out of 10 food ads seen by Latino children on Spanish-language TV promote fast food, candy, sugary drinks, and snacks. Unhealthy food marketing aimed at youth is a contributor to poor diets and related diseases, like obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. Targeting Latino and Black youth with unhealthy marketing contributes to disparities in health. That’s why the UConn Rudd Center first explored food-related TV advertising in 2013. Since then, the 10 companies with the most targeted ...
Restaurants, and food and beverage companies continue targeting Black and Hispanic consumers with advertising for their least nutritious products, primarily fast food, candy, sugary drinks, and snacks, according to a new UConn Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity report released Jan. 15. Eight out of 10 of the food ads seen by Hispanic children on Spanish-language TV promote fast food, candy, sugary drinks, and snacks, the report states. Although targeted marketing is not problematic in and of itself, target advertising for products that are high in sugar, fat, sodium, and calories to Latino and Black consumers is a public health issue. Join #SaludTues on Jan. 22, 2019, to explore the report findings and tweet about how companies continue to target Latino youth with ads for ...
By Celina Parás, MSc, RDN, LD
Guest Blogger, Nutrition Education Specialist, CHEF Program, The Children’s Hospital of San Antonio By now, you’ve probably heard about probiotics and prebiotics. You can find them as supplements and they’re even added to foods at the super market, but did you know you can also find them naturally in many foods?
Probiotics and Their Role in Health and Food Sources
In your gut, whether you're Latino or not, you house thousands of bacteria, called the microbiome. While most play an important role in health, others may be harmful by disrupting our gut balance. Probiotics are "friendly" bacteria that promote digestive health and offer other potential benefits by helping balance our gut-flora. Research has shown that including probiotics ...
