Studies show that Latino kids tend to drink more sugary drinks than their peers, putting them at a higher risk for weight-related issues like diabetes. One California lawmaker wants to insure that people are aware of the health risks of consuming too much added sugar. State Senator Bill Monning, responsible for attempting to pass a sugary drink tax a few times in the past, introduced a bill that would require a warning label on any drink with added sweeteners that has 75 or more calories in every 12 ounces. Monning said his labeling bill is akin to health warnings already carried on tobacco and alcohol products and focuses on health risks that a broad body of science has clearly linked to sugary drinks. Updates:
The bill cleared its first legislative test on April 9th, ...
NPR's online blog The Salt discusses the highlights of a new study published online in June in the journal Nutrition about the nutritionally difference of fruit juice versus soda. Eliza Barclay writes for The Salt and wrote the recent commentary on the study "Fruit Juice Vs. Soda? Both Beverages Pack In Sugar, Health Risks." When it comes to choosing between sodas and juices in the beverage aisle, the juice industry has long benefited from a health halo. We know that juice comes from fruit, while soda is artificial. In particular, the sugars in juice seem more "natural" than high fructose corn syrup — the main sweetener in so many sodas. After all, we've gotten rid of most of the soda we used to offer kids at school, but we still serve them lots of juice. But a published online ...
Latinos make up over 60% of residents in Tulare County, many of them working for little pay on large farms in California’s fertile Central Valley. Some of these families aren’t getting proper nutrition, leading to diet-related conditions, like obesity and diabetes. When the local food bank revamped their nutrition policy to encourage more fresh produce donations, a local health advocate used her hard-earned knowledge and passion to support that policy, and implemented a creative way to get the valley’s extra fruits and veggies into the hands of those who need them.
EMERGENCE
Awareness: In Tulare County in California’s fertile Central Valley, fresh produce grows all over the place. But for many area residents, this healthy produce doesn’t end up on their plates. "Here we ...
What is the best way to get young people to drink more water? That's the question of a new poll on PreventObesity.net. Answers range from removing local and state taxes on water to banning marketing of sugary drinks to kids to installing free water taps and water bottle-filling stations nationwide. Among Latino youths, consumption of sugary drinks—soft drinks, sports drinks, fruit-flavored drinks, and other caloric but non-nutritious beverages—is higher than the overall average, which contributes to increased rates of obesity, diabetes, and other health issues that disproportionately affect Latinos, according to a research review by Salud America!, a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation research network on Latino childhood obesity that is based at the Institute for Health Promotion ...
The Berkeley City Council agreed to put a sugary drink tax on a community poll assessing possible ballot measures for the November 2014 election. The poll will also test opinions on a commercial vacancies tax, a business license tax on rental housing, and a bond and tax measure for parks. The proposed tax is a penny-per-ounce tax on drinks with added caloric sugar which would include sodas, iced teas, Italian sodas, sports and energy drinks, sweetened coffees, and sweetened ice teas. The tax would not apply to milk, milk products, alcohol or drinks that are taken for medical reasons. Many community organizations support the measure, including Latino Coalition for a Healthy California. After the community poll of 500 likely voters showed that the sugary drink tax would have ...
Maryland has one of the most diverse Latino populations in the country, many of which are children. Tens of thousands of Maryland children who attend licensed child care centers will enjoy healthier drink choices and activities starting next year, thanks to a bill passed by the Maryland General Assembly and signed by Governor Martin O’Malley in May 2014. The “Child Care Centers – Healthy Eating and Physical Activity Act” requires centers to provide healthier drinks to children in their care, better support mothers who are breastfeeding, and reduce non-educational screen time. Many of these standards are based on the successful “Healthy Child Care” program in Howard County. In addition to Sugar Free Kids Maryland, the legislation had the support of both the Maryland ...
A new obesity management program will use family counseling, text messages and newsletters to control weight and spark healthier eating and physical activity habits in obese/overweight Latino kids, thanks to a five-year $2.9 million federal grant awarded to researchers at the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio. Researchers will develop and test the six-month program among 230 child-parent pairs in three pediatric clinics of the University Health System. Half the child-parent pairs will get in-clinic counseling on how to make healthy changes. The other half will get the same in-clinic counseling—plus phone counseling and culturally tailored text messages and newsletters to reinforce changes suggested through counseling. “We believe kids in the more intensive group will ...
A group of Latina women in the park poor city of Santa Ana, Calif., were desperate to have a safe place for their children to play. One mom, Irma Rivera, saw a child almost get hit by a car while playing in an empty parking lot, and she vowed to do something about the lack of safe active spaces. She and other moms went to non-profit group Latino Health Access (LHA) for support and found that the group was willing to champion the cause. Through teamwork, determination and perseverance, LHA and the moms managed to get land and funding to build the area’s first-ever public park and community center for Latinos in south Santa Ana.
EMERGENCE
Awareness: Latinos in Santa Ana, Calif., struggle with poverty, language and cultural barriers, obesity, and disease—despite being part of Orange ...
A senior center serving a diverse population worked with local farmers to grow fresh, healthy produce traditionally enjoyed by those of Latino descent, according to a new video. The video, by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), indicates that the center in Lawrence, Mass., also educated community members about portion control and healthy food preparation so that those with diabetes could learn the importance of a healthy diet for controlling the disease, and subsequently adjust their ...
