Health Worker Alma Galvez Helps Families ‘Rethink’ Their Sugary Drink



Alma Galvez was sick of seeing a growing number of overweight Latino child patients at her clinic in Minneapolis, Minn. (10.5% Latino population). In her job as a community health worker for St. Mary’s Health Clinics in Minnesota, Galvez was able to pinpoint a big culprit—sugary drinks. Galvez and Shannon Gavin, the organization’s coordinator of family health programs, wanted to reduce sugary drink consumption among Latino child patient and families. So they jumped head-first at the chance to work with state health officials to create a bilingual, culturally relevant campaign to urge Latino families to rethink their drink. Sugar’s Stranglehold on Latino Health Galvez and Gavin are big players in how St Mary’s Health Clinics serves its large minority and ...

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Get Water Bottle Fountains at Your School!


SaludWater water bottle filling praxina guerra school

Classic water fountains aren't always accessible or safe for kids. Water Bottle Fountains are filtered water dispensers for easily filling and refilling water bottles. This gives kids much-needed access to safe drinking water throughout the school day. They help keep kids hydrated while saving families money from buying bottled water. They also help the environment by reducing waste. Salud America! wants to help you get Water Bottle Fountains at your school with our custom-for-you Water Bottle Fountain Action Pack with Coaching! Request an Action Pack to get (at no charge to you): Customized, click-to-send emails, graphics and resources One-on-one support from an Action Pack Coach Ads on Facebook Promotion of your efforts to 100,000+ change-makers 25 Salud ...

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Fruit Juice Banned in Primary Schools to Cut Obesity in Scotland


LAtino Health sweetened sugary beverages

Sweetened sugary beverages are the main sources of excess sugar consumption and are associated with decreased water, fruit and vegetable consumption, as well as increased risk for obesity, diabetes and other chronic diseases. Parents in the Tayside area of Scotland expressed their concerns about the excess sugar given to toddlers in the form of fruit juice. In March 2017, more than 140 Scottish primary schools were banned from giving toddlers fruit juice. Water and milk will be served instead. “All local authorities have a duty to provide school meals that meet strict nutritional requirements, ensuring that pupils are offered balanced and nutritious school lunches," a Scottish Government spokesperson said according to one source. Barriers to healthy eating are not only ...

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Salvation Army in Chattanooga Helps Residents ‘Beat the Heat’



With temperatures this summer reaching into the triple digits in many cities across the country, staying hydrated is crucially important for everyone. In many low-income and Latino neighborhoods, this becomes problematic, as access to clean drinking water is not always readily available. In Chattanooga, Tenn. (5.41% Latino population), the city’s branch of the Salvation Army has launched a new campaign to help residents in the area keep cool and stay hydrated during the summer, according to a report from WDEF News. “I don’t know how folks make it through the hot days of summer,” said Kimberly George, a representative with the Salvation Army said in an interview with WDEF. “It is so hot that it is life threatening.” The Salvation Army’s “Beat the Heat” campaign, ...

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Water Bottle Fountains Transform Florida Parks, Libraries, and Schools


water bottle station

Drinking water increase health and hydration, but clean water is not always easy to get to. Recognizing this basic human need and the importance that water plays in overall health, Hillsborough County, Fla. (26% Latino population) has installed 60 water bottle filling stations—also called "hydration stations"—throughout the community. Attached to already existing water fountains, the stations have been installed at libraries, community centers, and public schools and parks, ABC Action News reports. In Hillsborough County, each station costs roughly $1,200 to install. “It's good that we have these stations,” said area resident Andres Gonzalez in an interview with ABC. “Easy and quick and efficient for us. Kind of a grab and go thing.” Latino kids ages 0-5 ...

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Get Kids More Access to Water!



Dehydration. Fatigue. Poor classroom performance. Water can help solve these issues for kids, but Latino kids don’t have access to clean drinking water as often as white kids, and they are more dehydrated. That’s why Salud America! created the #SaludWater health campaign! #SaludWater promotes awareness and grassroots actions to inspire local change to give Latino children more access to drinking water: Share social media messages about real stats and real people driving innovative solutions to boost water access, such as adding water bottle fountains in schools, pushing water using bilingual promotoras, and more. Sign a letter to urge State PTAs to prioritize access to drinking water in schools, such as water bottle fountains. Use our toolkit to add water bottle ...

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Caffeine Use Among Kids on the Rise, Latinos May Be Targeted



Caffeine use among children is increasing.   Sodas as well as energy drinks are a major source of caffeine for kids. A recent study shows 29% of 7th and 8th graders can’t judge what has caffeine and what doesn’t. Between 30% and 50% of teens and young adults reported using energy drinks. Energy drinks account for up to 58% of a person’s beverage budget for those on government assistance. For Latinos, there are 22% more ads for energy drinks on Spanish radio as compared to English radio. This targeting to Latinos could increase future energy drink use in the Latino community. Why is this a problem? The American Academy of Pediatrics says caffeine might have health risks for kids. Sodas, energy drinks, or other caffeinated drinks often have large amounts of ...

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Bilingual Video: Why Water Is Critical to Good Oral Health



Good oral health is essential for kids and their overall health. For Latino kids though, it’s not always so simple. Most kids have their first dental visit by age 7. For Latinos, their first visit is closer to age 16! While lack of dental insurance is most often the reason for such a late start, there is another culprit. Sugar. The average child in the United States now consumes over half of her body weight in sugar every year. Much of this sugar comes from sugary drinks. Too Much Sugar is Bad! Too much sugar can lead to serious health issues, like obesity, diabetes, and poor oral health. Some populations, such as Latinos experience much higher oral disease rates than the general population. About half of all U.S. Latino children have experienced cavities and, in ...

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Seattle Talks Soda Taxes



May 17th this year (2017) is the when Seattle will propose an ordinance to tax sugary drinks like soda, energy drinks, juice, and sweetened teas at two cents per ounce for distributors. Like many of the cities working to decrease health risks associated with consumption of sugary drinks, Seattle hopes to deter sugary drink consumption, increase health and fund educational disparities. Berkeley, in California, has successfully decreased the consumption of sugary drinks by 20 percent. Also, Mexico is continuing to see a decrease in consumption of sugary drinks in the country with the added sugary beverage tax. The tax in Seattle is being proposed by Mayor Ed Murray who is expecting to raise over 15 million dollars to help fund educational programs that would be recommended by the ...

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