The ActOut campaign in Virginia, an initiative of the Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth, is raising awareness about the need for more physical activity among youth.
Currently at least 1 in 4 youth in Virginia are overweight or obese and the problem is even more grave among Latino children. Health officials in Virginia worry that 1 in 2 Latino children born today will develop diabetes if action is not taken to reverse the obesity epidemic. Although 60 minutes of daily physical activity is recommended for children, 4 out of 5 kids do not meet this recommendation. This is why the ActOut campaign is calling all school districts in Virginia to provide at least 30 minutes of physical education to children. The ActOut Campaign encourages its supporters to get the word out to friends ...
In March of 2012, after two years of public debates and overcoming various challenges, the East Harlem Community Board finally approved plans to build protected bike lanes and pedestrian refuge islands. Melissa Mark-Viverito, New York City Council member for district 8, joined with city officials and members of the community to create a campaign to inform the public of the benefits protected bike lanes could bring to East Harlem. According to Mark-Viverito, residents from the predominantly Puerto Rican community of East Harlem suffer from disproportionately high rates of diabetes and other chronic diseases. Mark-Viverito speaks of that lack of bike lanes as a social justice issue. Protected bike lanes enhance safety by creating physical separation between moving traffic and bike lanes. ...
The City of San Antonio is in the process of developing a new snack vending contract and have incorporated the Healthy Vending Guidelines into the contract. In 2002, the Health Collaborative developed and launched the “Fit City Healthy Vending Guidelines” which guided San Antonio’s healthy vending efforts for nearly a decade. In 2011 the Health Collaborative and the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District came together to update and strengthen the guidelines in response to increasing obesity and diabetes rates throughout the community. They engaged a coalition of community and public health experts, dietitians, and food distributors to design the new “San Antonio Healthy Vending Guidelines”. The new guidelines include a set of specific nutrition criteria; as well as ...
After two years of advocating for protected bike lanes, District 8 City Council Member, Melissa Mark-Viverito, along with local community members, explain how bike lanes in East Harlem will bring vast improvements in the health and safety of the region. Residents living in this region suffer disproportionately from high level of diabetes and lack places for recreation. ...
The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), a group that advocates for federal policies and programs to promote healthy eating and physical activity, has sent singer, Beyonce Knowles, a letter asking her to reconsider the $50 million deal she signed with Pepsi. In the letter CSPI mentions that children from low-income, African American and Hispanic communities, suffer the greatest from obesity. Michael Jacobson, CSPI's executive director also suggested to Beyonce in the letter, that she consider donating her earnings to a obesity or diabetes related organization involved in prevention and treatment of soda related diseases. ...
This profile talks about the promotores program at Latino Health Access, the great need for parkland in Santa Ana, and about the positive impact that an improved built environment can have on one's health. According to this article, those who live in neighborhoods that provide opportunities for physical exercise have a 38% reduced chance of developing diabetes. ...
Latino children who are overweight or obese are at a greater risk for developing type II diabetes. In communities where fast food is readily available and where a sedentary lifestyle is commonplace, children can benefit from evidence based programs such as CATCH. Parents, teachers, and students attending Glen Cove elementary in El Paso, Texas describe how the CATCH program has helped them lead healthier lifestyles. ...
Unhealthy diets are a big contributor to the Latino childhood obesity epidemic. A new initiative is calling for Latino children and their families to embrace a healthier diet by limiting their sugar intake. For the Day Without Sugar Challenge, launched by Arte Público Press, the nation’s largest and oldest publisher of U.S. Hispanic literature, participants are encouraged to complete one full day without any sugary drinks, candies, cookies, or sweet baked goods, and avoid foods with added sugars. The initiative encourages community organizations, educators and families to address the issue of high sugar consumption, which can contribute to the risks of obesity, diabetes and heart disease. The American Heart Association recommends no more than 9 teaspoons of sugar per ...
A growing body of mortality research on immigrants has shown that the longer they live in the United States, the worse their rates of heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes, according to a New York Times report. According to the report:
For Hispanics, now the nation’s largest immigrant group, the foreign-born live about three years longer than their American-born counterparts, several studies have found.
Why does life in the United States — despite its sophisticated health care system and high per capita wages — lead to worse health? New research is showing that the immigrant advantage wears off with the adoption of American behaviors — smoking, drinking, high-calorie diets and sedentary lifestyles.
Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, director of the Salud America! Latino ...
