In a heavily Latino part of Kansas that struggled with obesity, one coalition stepped up to find new ways to help the Latino community make healthier food choices. How’d they try to do it? They started to change the local food environment by increasing the availability and marketing of healthy foods in local stores—and it worked. EMERGENCE Awareness: Wyandotte County, Kan., which is 27.1% Hispanic and is home to Kansas City, had a growing problem of obesity, with 41% of school children listed as overweight or obese. Officials with the Latino Health for All Coalition (funded in 2008 by the National Center for Minority Health and Health Disparities), were increasingly aware that many residents shop at corner stores or small grocery stores, which do not always offer fresh ...
How can we work to prevent obesity & chronic disease among Latinos before it happens? We need a culture of health and fitness and with that comes the need to find policies and community oriented solutions that serve to provide Latinos with more opportunities and fewer barriers to physical activity. One plan to get more Americans moving, which was recently proposed by Congress is the "PHIT ACT." According to Phitamerica.org, the bill's aim is to provide an incentive for being fit and healthy and to reduce health care costs. According to the bill, a $1 investment in physical activity would reduce medical expenses by $3.20 and because the most expensive illnesses are often related to weight related issues, investing in health before one gets sick may be a viable solution for ...
The number of communities throughout the U.S. adopting Complete Streets policies continues to grow. According to Smart Growth America, in 2014 at least 70 jurisdictions adopted new policies such as resolutions and ordinances, aimed at making roads safer and more livable for all road users. Rather than designing roads that cater to automobiles, Complete Streets policies serve to ensure that communities design streets to be more equitable. By placing greater emphasis on the need for sidewalks, bike lanes, and aesthetics, Complete Streets policies enhance safety and also encourage active transportation. Latino communities throughout the U.S. can greatly benefit from having Complete Streets. In many low-income, minority communities, biking, public transportation and walking are ...
Leaders in Manhattan broke ground last Friday on what will soon be a place for residents and visitors to gather for Farmers' markets and community events.
The Plaza de Las Americas will not only bring water and electricity to local vendors for the first time, but according to a StreetsblogNYC post, it will also serve to beautify the predominantly Dominican neighborhood of Washington Heights with trees, lighting, benches, tables, chairs, and a fountain.
Another added benefit to this project is that it may help improve traffic safety conditions. StreetsblogNYC reports that at least six pedestrians and bicyclists have been injured on Broadway road where the new plaza is set to be built.
Click here to learn more. Learn more about Latino kids and the lack of safe places for ...
Children and residents living in the South Bronx, are hoping to see some long needed improvements brought to St. Mary's Park.
Thanks to a $1.5 million commitment backed by city council member Melissa Mark-Viverito, the park's playground will hopefully soon see improvements.
“If you are a child growing up in a community where everything around you is in disarray, with trash and broken things, it sends a message that you don’t count,” said Deborah Marton, executive director of the New York Restoration Project, in a New York Times article. “If you walk through a well-maintained open space, even in a low-income community, you feel like your city is investing in you.”
According to the New York Times, although mayor Bill de Blasio recently launched a city-wide Community Parks ...
Are you ready to make health a priority in your community? Then look for the National Alliance for Hispanic Health's ¡Vive tu Vida! Get Up! Get Moving! event near you! On Saturday March 7, 2015, ¡Vive tu Vida! will kick-off its ninth annual community-wide event, which brings free health screenings and fitness programming to Latinos all across the U.S. Thanks to support from local community-based organization partner, Concilio Latino de Salud & multiple sponsors such as Newman’s Own Foundation, Univision, the Embassy of Mexico and the United States Tennis Association, the first of this 11-city event series will take place on Saturday at John R. Davis Elementary School in Phoenix, Arizona. At the event, in addition to free healthy screenings, there will ...
Farmers’ markets are a great place to find fresh fruits and vegetables when your local grocery store doesn’t sell them. But when your neighborhood doesn’t have a farmers’ market OR a local grocery store with fresh fruits and vegetables—are you just out of luck? Find out how a Latina school teacher-turned healthy food activist was inspired by her friend to start a farmers’ market in her neighborhood in San Antonio, Texas, so neighbors could not only have better access to fresh fruits and vegetables, but learn how to cook tasty dishes that make healthy eating a delicious way of life.
EMERGENCE
Awareness: As a computer teacher at an elementary school in inner-city San Antonio, TX, Michelle Griego watches kids choose chips over carrots daily. San Antonio sits within ...
Science backs up your mom’s old adage: “Eat your fruits and vegetables if you want to be healthy and strong!” Unfortunately, this message is often lost or unheeded, buried beneath junk food ads relentlessly targeting kids, especially Latinos. Leaders in San Antonio, Texas decided to combat the city’s troubling obesity rate with a campaign designed to get kids (and their parents!) to eat more fruits and veggies. The “Veg Out” campaign, backed by science and a diverse coalition of public health, school, city, and other officials, aims to have a lasting impact on the health of families in San Antonio. EMERGENCE Awareness: San Antonio is a unique, mostly Latino city known for its rich culture and traditions. However, some cultural traditions, like the consumption of ...
President Barack Obama has just announced the launch of a new initiative designed to get kids in parks! The Every Kid in a Park initiative will provide 4th graders and their families with free access to national parks for a whole year. Along with providing students with this important opportunity to experience the outdoors, the president also announced the designation of three new National Monuments across the U.S. The Every Kid in a Park initiative will expand opportunities for children by Making it easy for schools and families to plan trips by providing information about nearby parks, waters, & student programming;
Providing transportation support to schools with the greatest need, through the Ticket to Ride program; and
Providing educational materials via ...
