Recently, the FDA sought public comment on strategies to reduce added sugar consumption. Sugary drink consumption, which is heavy among Latino children, represents a large portion of the added sugar intake in the diets of Americans. This increases risk of obesity and disease. Salud America! created a model comment that people could submit to FDA to share five pediatrician-approved ways to limit sugary drink consumption among children! Comments were due Jan. 22, 2024. Update 1/24/24: Salud America! members submitted 260 of the 418 comments that FDA received to reduce added sugars and limit sugary drinks in the American diet!
View the Salud America! Model Comment to Reduce Added Sugars, Sugary Drink Consumption
Greetings, I applaud FDA for seeking public input on reducing ...
Did you know Latino kids consume more sugary drinks—soda, sports and energy drinks, sugary fruit juices, and flavored milk—than the average child? Heavy consumption of sugary drinks puts children at greater risk of obesity and disease. This is why Healthy Eating Research created a new toolkit to help healthcare systems add a beverage screener to their electronic health record (EHR) system to ask parents questions about their child's sugary drink consumption. The goal is to identify "unhealthy beverage consumption patterns in young children and [help] families develop healthy beverage habits," according to the toolkit.
How Can You Start Screening for Sugary Drinks?
The new toolkit shows how health systems can start screening for sugary drinks as part of their electronic ...
The amount of Americans who are food insecure — without enough food for a healthy life for all family members — is on the rise, according to a new USDA report. 12.8% of Americans struggled with food insecurity in 2022, up from 10.2% in 2021. Latino households experienced the largest spike. “Too many of our neighbors struggle to put healthy food on the table," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. "[The data] paint a picture of just how many Americans faced the heartbreaking challenge last year of struggling to meet a basic need for themselves and their children." Let's explore the report and the issue of food insecurity among Latinos.
How Many Latinos Experience Food Insecurity?
U.S. food insecurity had been in decline for several years. But, after the food ...
Childhood is a critical period for the development of eating behaviors and habits that last into adulthood. These habits play a vital role in growth, development, and the prevention of obesity and other lifelong, diet-related chronic diseases. Children who live in food deserts and lack access to nutritional food, such as many Latinos, may struggle more with maintaining a healthy weight and developing healthy eating patterns. That’s where Healthy Eating Research (HER) resources can help.
One Stop Shop for All Your Healthy Eating Habits
HER has produced evidence-based recommendations and best practices for promoting healthy eating behaviors in children ages 2 to 8. This site has excellent resources for Spanish-speaking parents, who may lack access to nutritional guidance due ...
A few years ago, scientists advised federal leaders to adjust the Dietary Guidelines for Americans to lower added sugar intake from 10% to 6% of daily calories and reduce men’s daily alcohol intake from two to one drink a day. That advice was not taken. Now those scientists – the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee – are asking for public comment as they again prepare to recommend changes to the dietary guidelines. This is an opportunity to speak up for nutrition! Submit a model comment created by Salud America! to urge lower added sugar and alcohol intake in the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans! The comment period opened Jan. 19, 2023, and closed on Oct. 1, 2024. October 2024 UPDATE: 266 Salud America members submitted our model comment ...
Latinos and all people face many challenges to good health. Access to healthcare is often out of reach. Unfair treatment is a reality for many, along with financial toxicity, limited health food, and unstable housing, transportation, and childcare. But we have an opportunity to create healthy changes. Let’s use #SaludTues on Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2023, to share how everyone – from healthcare to schools to local decision-makers – can get involved in building healthier communities for Latinos and all people as we near Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15 to Oct. 15)! WHAT: #SaludTues Tweetchat: Building a Healthier Future for Latinos
TIME/DATE: 1-2 p.m. ET (Noon-1 p.m. CT), Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2023
WHERE: On Twitter with hashtag #SaludTues
HOST: @SaludAmerica
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We’ve all learned from an early age that it’s best to stay home when sick. But for the 21% of American workers with no paid sick leave – many of which are Latino – staying home to rest may not feel like an option. However, a new report by the US Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) highlights just how important it is to avoid working while sick – especially for food service workers. Let’s explore the report and what it means for Latinos and all consumers.
Foodborne Illness Outbreaks Associated with Sick Workers
From 2017 to 2019, a total of 800 foodborne illness outbreaks were reported by state and local health departments. About 40% of these outbreaks were associated with ill or infectious food workers, according to the CDC report. The most common ...
You can get help eating healthier from the Green Wellness Program: Plants-2-Plate, a 6-month program led by Wellness 360 at UT Health San Antonio. Plant-based food is the heart of the program. “The mission of the UT Health San Antonio Green Wellness Program: Plants-2-Plate is to make lives better by promoting lifestyle change, including a plant-predominant eating pattern to achieve optimal health,” according to the program webpage. Get information on how to join!
Can a Plant-Based Diet Work for You?
The future of humanity depends on building healthier, plant-based food systems. A plant-based diet focuses on food that comes primarily from plants including fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, oils, whole grains, and legumes. Some people experience different ...
The federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) program provides temporary support to help people and families afford food. But SNAP benefits are often under fire. After Trump-era efforts to curb SNAP benefits and the recent expiration of COVID-era SNAP increases, some lawmakers are pushing to add more work requirements to qualify for eligibility. Under the House’s proposed expansion of work requirements to parents and caregivers, as many as four million children could go hungry. “Millions of low-income households, [people from overlooked communities], and their families rely on basic supports to access health care, feed themselves, afford childcare, and survive financial and health insecurity,” according to a UnidosUs blog. “Cuts to these ...
