The Impacts of Economy on Healthy Childhood Weight



According to local news and a recent study of California school children, unemployment rates can increase a child's risk of becoming an unhealthy weight. Researcher and lead author of the study, Vanessa Oddo from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore explained that there is a trickle down effect that impact kids health. Researchers studied California's unemployment levels and house foreclosures from 2008 to 2012 along with heights and weights of 1.7 million school-aged children, more than half Latino, from the state's department of education. Students body mass index (BMI)'s were compared with economic indicators showing for every one percent increase in unemployment in a community, children had a 14% increase in BMI. However, foreclosure had a reverse ...

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Alaska’s Play Every Day Campaign Promotes Healthy Fun For All Seasons



The state of Alaska has started the "Play Every Day" campaign to help boost physical activity and reduce sugary drink consumption among families across the state, where two out of three Alaskan adults are now overweight or obese and one out of three Alaskan children are overweight or obese. The new campaign asks kids to drink more water and understand that they don't need sports drinks to play sports. Public service announcement videos for families are also available on the campaign's website, talking about the sugar content in drinks. Posters inform students that even one sweet beverage a day, like a powdered drink, can lead to cavities, weight gain, and type 2 diabetes. The goal of the campaign is to help reduce consumption of drinks that have added sugars, but also to ...

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New Report From Ohio Finds Latino Boys Deal with Disparities



According to a local news article, United Way of Central Ohio hoping to help Latino kids have healthier lives, noting from the 2016 Champion of Children report that reveals many of the challenges that Latino boys face. The report which includes local and national information finds that the growing population of Latino youth is living in high-poverty neighborhoods, limiting them to fresh food, quality schools, affordable housing and health care. Other barriers include language barriers, societal assumptions and cultural expectations of boys to work and contribute to the family. The report recommends that schools hire more Latino teachers, encourage Latino children to go into education careers and for teachers to become more culturally sensitive. Also recommended was for community ...

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Public Library Educates Visitors about Sugar in Drinks


sugar in drinks library

As visitors entered the public library in Clyde, Ohio, (5.9% Latino) students from Ohio State University (OSU) are encouraging them to think about the sugar amounts in their favorite sports drinks, coffee drinks, and juices, according to a local news article. The presentation was part of the "Rethink Your Drink" campaign aiming at helping library visitors to understand how sugary drinks impact their health. The presentations showed how Monster energy drinks contain 54 grams of added sugar or in regular terms, 14 packages of sugar, explained Katie LaPlant, the extension office's educator, according to the Fremont News Messenger. Research shows that consuming the added sugars in soda, sports drinks, and some juice drinks are linked to tooth decay, heart disease, Type 2 Diabetes ...

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New Study: Arrows Mark the Way to Healthier Foods & Higher Consumption


Mother and daughter shopping for produce

A new study shows how arrows directing grocery store shoppers may help them choose healthier foods. According to a study from the Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior, the use of six feet by three feet green arrows with text inside stating, "please follow this green arrow for a healthy heart, or a healthy weight" directed consumers to the fresh produce aisle and helped them choose more produce. These green arrows were part of a study on nutrition interventions using non-traditional marketing on the floor of a grocery store to influence consumers to choose healthier fruits and vegetables when purchasing foods, but not increase their overall budget for foods. "Considering that half of shoppers budgets are less flexible for unmet needs at the grocery store, we knew that we ...

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Reports Show Success in Mexico’s Junk Food Tax



Healthier foods are not always affordable or convenient, but the health risks of eating junk foods like chips, energy drinks and candy put many families at risk for diseases like heart disease and diabetes. To reverse the rising diabetic rates in Mexico, Mexico City put a 8 percent tax on high- calorie snacks to help reduce consumption and purchases of high sodium, high sugar snacks that have more than 275 calories per 100 grams of product. The tax has been successful in low-income and medium-income homes where a recent article from American Heart Association (AHA) explains that low-income families bought 10.2 percent less junk food, while medium-income households bought 5.8 percent less. Researchers from Mexico's National Institute of Public Health and the University of North ...

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Store Reduces Sugary Beverage Options In Concerns for Consumers Health



Various cities throughout the nation are thinking about soda taxes or working on reducing beverages like energy drinks, and unnatural juices in schools, and city vending machines. Now Raley's, a privately owned and family operated supermarket chain in West Sacramento will be removing name-brand sodas from their stores. The 121 stores are located in Northern California and Nevada under four names: Raley's Supermarkets, Bel Air Markets, Nob Hill Foods and Food Source. A recent article explains the decision to remove these type of beverages from the store was to advance their vision of health and wellness, wanting to "make it easier" for their costumers to make healthier choices. Latino kids ages 0-5 consume more sugary drinks than their peers, and about 74% of Latinos have had a ...

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Two Breakfasts are Healthier than None Researchers Say



According to a new study by the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity, researchers found that teens who didn't eat breakfast were at higher risks for obesity than those who ate two breakfasts. This is powerful for schools, as many are working to incorporate healthier foods and reduce sugary drink consumption among students to curb the rising rates of students with diabetes, obesity, and other chronic health risks. Researchers do not know the case as to why eating two breakfasts rather than none can help, but one theory was that students would not overeat later in the day, according to a recent article. To read the full study, click here. Copy & Share on Twitter: Two Breakfasts are Healthier than None Researchers Say ...

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Disparities Still Exist in Latino Students School Meals



New reports on healthy foods in school meals show that there still remains issues for underserved children of color. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention state that many children consume most of their daily calories- a third to a half- at school, making school one of the most important food environments that impact a child's future health. A recent report from the CDC looking at schools across the U.S. from 2006-07 to 2013-14, shows that more schools in the West have the availability of salad bars in their schools than all other regions and most schools serving socio-economically disadvantaged students were less likely to have salad bars. Also revealed in the report, were that many majority-Latino schools were less likely to offer fresh fruit in school meals. Latino ...

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