Millions of Americans rely on social programs, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), to put food on their tables. These individuals, many of whom are Latino or other people of color, still face barriers in accessing nutritious food. In fact, a recent USDA study showed that nine in 10 SNAP recipients have difficulty purchasing healthy, nutritious food. Facts like these are fueling calls from experts and advocates for “nutrition security,” a new outlook on the kinds of food that are accessible for all families, according to Cassie Ramos, a policy associate at Center for Science in the Public Interest. “Lack of access to nutritious diets is a major challenge for people with low incomes in the United States,” Ramos writes in an Op-Ed in The Hill. ...
Millions of Latinos and other Americans of color suffer from a lack of reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food. For years, experts and advocates have described this problem as “food insecurity.” However, as this conversation takes the forefront after a year of food-insecurity problems highlighted by the coronavirus pandemic, nutrition experts are now saying it is time to address food security in a new light: Through “nutrition security.” “You’ve probably heard the phrase ‘food security’ to describe consistent access to food,” Cara Rosenbloom, a registered dietitian and the president of Words to Eat By, wrote in a recent Washington Post perspective. “But many health professionals and policymakers think it’s an inadequate ...
Across the nation, people of color have less access to healthy, nutritious foods. To super-size that unhealthy environment, the fast-food industry spent $5 billion on advertising in 2019, especially targeting Latino and Black youth, according to a new study from University of Connecticut’s Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity. “Fast-food consumption by children and teens has increased over the past decade, and fast-food advertising definitely plays a role in that rise,” said Dr. Jennifer Harris, senior research advisor for marketing initiatives at the Rudd Center and a co-author of the study. “Our findings show that these advertisements disproportionately target Black and Latino youth, groups who already face greater risk for obesity and other diet-related ...
Sugary drinks can contribute to obesity and disease, especially for children of color. A rising number of U.S. states and cities are hoping to curb consumption of soda, juice, and other beverages through a number of regulations, including implementing a sugary drink tax. Sugary drink taxes are shown to reduce the number of sugary drink purchases. They also raise money for local health programs. In Rhode Island, legislators hope to pass a sugary drink tax to help provide food to the hungry amid the COVID-19 pandemic, according to State Sen. Valerie Lawson. “The pandemic has shined a glaring light on food insecurity in our state,” Lawson said, according to UPRISE RI. “Recently, Rhode Island Kids Count released their annual Fact Book showing that the pandemic had a ...
Sugary drinks contribute to obesity, diabetes, and other health issues. This is why many U.S. cities are trying to reduce the consumption of sodas, juices, sports drinks, and other high-sugar beverages by raising their price through sugary drink taxes. They then use the tax revenue to pay for local health programs. Washington, D.C. (11.3% Latino), which already has a type of sugary drink tax, could transition to an even stronger sugary drink tax with its Nutrition Equity Act. “Our lowest-income neighborhoods have the most limited access to healthy drinks and full-service grocery options,” said Dr. Federico Asch, a cardiologist and president of the American Heart Association Greater Washington Region Board of Directors. “We have a huge problem where, for example, many kids ...
Sadly, food insecurity ─ being without reliable access to a sufficient quantity of nutritious food ─ is common in the United States. This is especially true for Latinos and other people of color. U.S. Latino and Black households are more likely to suffer food insecurity (16.2% and 21.2%, respectively), than the national average (11.1%), according to USDA data, Salud America! reports. COVID-19 is making the situation worse, too. Let’s use #SaludTues on Tuesday, June 1, 2021, to discuss emerging strategies to reduce fod insecurity and improve healthy food access for Latinos and all people during and beyond the pandemic! WHAT: #SaludTues Tweetchat: Strategies to Address Food Insecurity
TIME/DATE: 1-2 p.m. ET (Noon-1 p.m. CT), Tuesday, June 1, 2021
WHERE: On Twitter ...
Sodas, juices, and other sugary drinks contribute to obesity and other health issues. This is why many communities are passing sugary drink taxes. This kind of governmental action has proven to reduce consumption of sugary drinks, and create revenue for local health programs. Can a sugary drink tax work in your community? Use the new Sugary Drink Tax Calculator from the University of Connecticut’s Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity to estimate the potential national or state revenue from a volume-based excise tax on sugary drinks. “This new information will hopefully help policymakers determine how much revenue a tax could raise in their communities if they were to implement one,” Dr. Tatiana Andreyeva, the Director of Economic Initiatives at the Rudd Center, said ...
From a young age, Flávia Fernandes wanted to practice medicine. Thanks to years of resiliency and dedication, she is now working toward a medical degree as a medical humanities student at UT San Antonio. But she’s already working hard to improve the health of her community. Fernandes, who is originally from Brazil, is part of the El Bari UT Health Healthy Choices Team — a group of San Antonio doctors, students, and community members who are creating and sharing healthy recipes online along with health education resources. For Fernandes, this is a life-long goal realized. “The work I’m doing now is better than what I dreamed for,” she said. “I wanted to learn about the ways doctors engage with the community and promote positive changes in people’s lives. ...
Too many families have struggled with food insecurity for too many years. Getting access to enough healthy food is a task that has only been made harder by the COVID-19 pandemic, which is especially harming Latinos. Worse, food insecurity is overburdening social services and nonprofit organizations that provide much-needed food—especially nutritious, healthy meals—to families, according to a recent report from the UCONN Rudd Center and the Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA). “The COVID-19 pandemic placed extreme hardship on American families and the food banks that help them put dinner on the table,” the report’s authors write. “Unemployment soared and people seeking food assistance, who were also those most severely impacted by COVID-19, dramatically increased ...
