Do you live in one of the countries healthiest cities? More and more cities are recognizing the importance building a culture of health for their citizens. Many have added built environment features, such as improved walkways and bike lanes for people to add more activity into their daily lives. Increasing access to green spaces, such as public parks, as well as free exercise programs have also become some of the initiatives undertaken by cities across the country. Latinos, especially Latino kids, in underserved communities have limited options for physical activity, which is part of the reason they are more likely to be overweight or obese than their peers. Condé Nast Traveler magazine has compiled a list of the country’s healthiest cities which they determined by factors such ...
There are many options for dining out these days, but which restaurants offer healthier and more sustainable options for families? REAL, standing for Responsible, Epicurean, and Agricultural Leadership, is a nationally recognized mark of excellence for food and foodservice operators committed to holistic nutrition and environmental stewardship. The United States Healthful Food Council (USHFC), established in 2012, works to help restaurants become REAL Certified in three areas that show conscious health for the environment and the people. The goal is to make sure healthy choices are highlighted and offered, and that unhealthy options are limited or changed for families dining out. Through this certification, healthy changes are being made in restaurants all over the ...
The aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 left many cities deserted and families without access to grocery stores or healthy food access, but New Orleans took the rebuilding opportunity in 2011 with the Fresh Food Retailer Initiative (FFRI), seeded with $7 million to help invest in healthy food access for all New Orleans residents. On November 29th, eighteen legislators from states plagued with food deserts visited healthy food retail outlets in New Orleans, which were funded by their city’s Healthy Food Financing Initiative (HFFI), to learn how they could create similar programs in their states to benefit their constituents. HFFI's are a tool for state and local governments to bring new supermarkets and grocery stores to low-income, underserved communities and have been shown ...
The American Heart Association recommends that children's dietary intake of added sugars be less than six teaspoons of added sugars per day, but a small 12-ounce soda contains over that amount by 4 teaspoons of sugar. One way to help reduce the intake of added sugars in children's diets is to reduce the consumption of drinks with added sugars, like sodas, flavored milk, juices, sweet teas and lemonades. The Center for Science in the Public Interest and Voices for Healthy Kids Action Center is working to continue efforts of removing sugary beverages from kids' menus by bringing awareness of chain restaurants that have committed to removing soft drinks from kids menus and pointing out some of the biggest American Restaurant chains that continue to push sugar drinks on their kids' ...
This is part of our Sugary Drinks & Latino Kids: A Research Review »
Future research needs
Further research could focus on differences in SSB consumption and the effect on obesity and health among Latino subgroups, as most studies that tease out results by racial/ethnic group focus on Mexican Americans. More research is also needed on the beverages available and promoted in early child care settings and how new federal, state, and (where they have regulatory authority) local regulations impact this in both licensed and unlicensed child care settings. Further research on the potential impact of SSB prices and taxes on Latinos, particularly youths, could be conducted. It will be important to evaluate the taxes implemented in Philadelphia, Cook County, Ill., and the ...
This is part of our Sugary Drinks & Latino Kids: A Research Review »
Conclusions The large amount of added sugar consumed by Latino youths in the form of SSBs must be addressed, given the impact of this added sugar on obesity.
Young people are exposed to a wide variety of SSB advertising and promotion, with exposure among Latinos disproportionately high, despite voluntary efforts by beverage companies to reduce marketing to children.
Very few early childcare facilities report serving sugary drinks to children ages 0-5, but increased regulation can reduce serving of sugary drinks and increase promotion of water.
A more sizable price increase on all SSBs could have a significant effect on consumption of SSBs and could improve weight12,30–33,36,38,49,67,77,92,112–115 ...
This is part of our Sugary Drinks & Latino Kids: A Research Review »
Latino children consume less water than their peers
Research based on national NHANES data (2005-06, 2007-08, and 2009-10) has shown that water intakes among U.S. children ages 4-13 are below recommended levels. Mexican-American children consumed less plain water than Non-Hispanic white children, on average, and children living in lower-income households were less likely to consume water as a beverage than those in high-income households.105 Studies have found that Hispanics are more likely to perceive tap water as unsafe and are less likely to drink tap water compared to Non-Hispanic whites.38,106–108 Recent NHANES data showed that over half (56%) of Mexican-American children consumed water from ...
This is part of our Sugary Drinks & Latino Kids: A Research Review »
Sugary drink consumption is responsive to changes in pricing
One recent systematic review concluded that a 10 percent increase in soft drink prices would lead to a 7.9 percent reduction in soft drink consumption.85 A second systematic review of studies published from January 2007 through March 2012 concluded that a 10 percent price increase for SSBs only would lead to an even larger—12.1 percent—reduction in SSB consumption, as some consumers would switch to diet, water and other lower-calorie options. Price increases on more narrowly defined categories of SSBs (e.g., regular carbonated soda) would lead to larger reductions in consumption in these categories.86 A recent randomized controlled trial ...
This is part of our Sugary Drinks & Latino Kids: A Research Review »
Early childcare settings are diverse
The National Household Education Survey reports that 60 percent of all U.S. children ages 5 and younger not yet enrolled in kindergarten were in some form of non-parental care at least once a week in.69 Among these children, 56 percent were cared for in a center such as a day care center, Head Start program, preschool, prekindergarten, or other early childhood programs. Children in full-time child care programs obtain typically half to three-fourths of their daily energy in these settings.70 The types of child care facilities and programs available in the U.S. vary considerably, including large and small child care centers, family day care homes, Head Start facilities, ...
