Food policy Action, a non-profit based in D.C has created a National Food Policy Score Scorecard: 2015 Progress report. This report helps voters understand which legislators are voting for issues that impact the food system. The report includes a scorecard that evaluates the members of congress based on the house votes taken on food-related legislation. It reveals who is more involved and scores members on action taken, giving the highest score of 100 to Legislators with the most action toward healthy food system change.There is also a map (picture shown above) that shows the House of Representatives in regards to districts and food-policy voting. This resource breaks down various bills related to agriculture, GMO's, free meal assistance and current 2015 acts like Farm to School ...
In Florida, access to healthy food may be greater than 10 miles for some families. In addition to not getting healthy options at home, many at-risk kids do not get the opportunity to learn about where fresh food comes from or how it is grown. Hoping to help to fight hunger and obesity through educating kids about the value of eating fruits and vegetables, local UnitedHealthcare employee volunteers teamed up with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers NFL football team to build and donate learning gardens to local Florida schools.
Healthy Food Access in Tampa, Florida
The population of Tampa, Fla., (23.1% Latino) and its county seat, Hillsborough County, Fla., (26% Latino) have had an influx of Latino families moving to the area since 2013, according to Tampa General Hospital’s 2013 Community ...
You may have heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but new research from Cardiff University finds a direct link between kids who eat a quality breakfast and their educational attainment. The landmark study reveals that students who ate breakfast were twice as likely to have higher academic outcomes. The study looked at 5000 students ages 9 to 11 years of age from more than 100 primary schools. Researchers examined the longitudinal effects of the link between breakfast consumption and educational outcomes. The study also showed significant differences of educational performance between students who ate sweets or crisps versus students who ate fruit and vegetables, revealing that eating sweets for breakfast had no positive impact on educational ...
School gardens are not new, according to researcher Suzanne Teghtmeyer. School gardening within the United States started as early as the 19th century and is still thriving today. But how are school gardens growing and changing students' health and education today? Helping school gardens grow through network opportunities, online tools, and resources, is a new network called The Edible Schoolyard Project. Founded by Alice Walters, their mission is to create and build a national edible education curriculum that runs from pre-k education through high school. Thier efforts support a network of current school gardens with a map showing all the new school gardens growing around the nation and the world. They also provide stories and resources like math and science ...
How can one family have an impact on reducing obesity in their school and beyond? Just look at the Surani sisters of Corpus Christi, Texas. After learning that their city had been named the fattest in the nation and how obesity is a huge health threat among children, the three girls wanted to take action They, with the help of their parents and others, created several programs to improve children’s health, including the iConquer program to help kids beat obesity by achieving healthy lifestyles starting from the early ages of 3 to 6 years old.
Sister History of Health
Fifteen-year-old Zoya Surani, along with sisters Sara (19) and Saherish (16), grew up in a household where healthy choices were commonplace. Their father, a pulmonologist, and mother, a respiratory therapist, ...
Sugary drinks, which can represent up to 40% of a child's total caloric intake, are a leading cause of obesity among children, reported an article from Los Angeles, where new water campaigns are popping up throughout the city. Leading the country with the highest obesity rate for children between the ages two and four, California (38.6% Latino) is trying to help parents and kids put the sugary drinks and sodas down the drain with their new water campaign. The campaign, "Water: The Healthiest Choice", is geared at helping bring information to parents, caregivers, and kids to choose water over sugary drinks. Dr. Simon, the director of Division of Chronic Disease and Injury Prevention for the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health advises parents in a recent article, "We ...
In 2010, the predominantly Latino city of Corpus Christi, Texas, was labeled the “fattest city in the nation” by Men’s Health magazine. A group of local middle school students were not happy about this designation and wanted to do something about it. After speaking to friends and teachers, the students reached out to influential community members to develop interest and support for a health program for elementary students called “Mission FitPossible.” Three years later, the students were high school students and they would wake up an hour early to bring Mission FitPossible to nearby elementary students.
Next Generation to Inherit Fattest City in Texas
Corpus Christi, Texas (59.7% Latino), was labeled the “fattest city in the nation” in 2010. Sarita Damaraju and Doug ...
Serving up healthy options like local turkey hot dogs, and farm fresh beet hummus, food trucks are now becoming the trend for healthy foods on school campuses across the states. Boulder Valley School District in Colo. was one of the first districts in the U.S. to serve school lunches through a food truck with a $75,000 grant from Whole Food Market. Students are taking advantage of the fun and fresh options to eat on campus in a new way. The director of food services at the district, Bertrand Weber stated in an article that the demand for the food trucks is so high, that the districts are challenged to keep up with it. Minneapolis School district is now planning to do the same this spring to help keep high school students on campus for lunch, and offer up healthy fresh options in ...
Bonnie Y. Modugno, MS, RD, a nutrition consultant, and Shari Portnoy, MPH, RD, CFT, a registered dietitian both give nutritional advice and practices to help make student living healthier for K-12 students and college students alike. The site gives college students advice on how to stay healthy during the year when most college students harbor bad eating habits and often times heavy drinking occurs. By taking advantage of college intramural sports, and on-campus athletic trainers, and using resources on the site like, my food record, students can learn how to balance a healthy diet with exercise for a healthier mind and create healthy habits. Advice for k-12 students is also provided with resources like the EatWell plate, to help guide portion sizes and fun games from the USDA and ...
