“What you drink can either positively or negatively impact your mind, your body and your health,” said Vish Vasani, a public health specialist with the Minneapolis Health Department, in a recent news article. “Low-income communities and communities of color are more likely to regularly consume sugary drinks.” Latino Teens are more likely to drink sugary beverages like sodas. Minneapolis has had a growing young Latino population according to an article in 2014. Unfortunately, the city is has also grown in rates of obesity according to Vasani. The state is trying to slim down on their consumption of sodas and sugary beverages with a statewide educational campaign, "Rethink Your Drink". The campaign has shown progress as restaurants are changing menus to include more healthy ...
Drinking too many sugary beverages is already frowned upon by researchers and family doctors alike, but the most recent research shows a direct link towards consumption of sugary beverages and health risks. A new study published on September 30th, by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, revealed that people who drink more than two sugary drinks a day had a 35% increase in risk for a heart attack or fatal heart disease. The study also showed that those who consume at least two sugary beverages a day also have a 16% increased risk for stroke and 26% increased the risk for developing type 2 diabetes. These findings show the need for increased knowledge for Latinos, who consume more than one sugary beverage a day, as many studies show Latinos are already at higher risks for ...
Every year San Antonio's Siclovia, put on by the YMCA helps turn major city streets into safe spaces for active exercise and play for the community. This years event on September 27th, 2015, will again encourage families to run, ride bikes, and enjoy free exercise classes in the streets, but one thing will be different, families will enjoy free water too. San Antonio Water System (SAWS) will be providing a healthy alternative to sugary beverages, with a 5,000-gallon water truck, encouraging families in attendance to drink up and stay fit. Also attending will be San Antonio's Healthy Beverage coalition, encouraging people to drink more water, and educate them with their Sugar-Packed campaign. Combining fitness, water consumption and education on sugary-drinks, is a healthy ...
On Spanish-language TV, food and beverage advertising is out of whack. Just 1% of food ads show water, fruits, or veggies, and 70% of ads show fast-food or other restaurants, candy, gum, snacks, and sugary drinks, according to a new study by the UConn Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity, Salud America!, and the African American Collaborative Obesity Network. Those are discouraging numbers...but there’s good news! The Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative (CFBAI) is a voluntary self-regulation program for food and drink companies to create healthier advertising to kids under age 12. Who’s in? McDonald’s, Burger King, General Mills, PepsiCo, Kraft, Kellogg’s, Hershey, Mar, Nestle, Campbell Soup and more. We’d like to thank them for leading the way ...
Over the years there has been multiple studies that show the links of consuming sugary drinks to healthcare problems, such as diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease and cancers. A comprehensive report combined patterns of beverage consumption within 51 countries over 30 years with availability and consumption of sugar in 187 countries. This study revealed the first-ever global report on the effect of sugar-sweetened beverages on death rates. Studies showed that the United States was ranked second for death rates associated with sugary beverages. Latino kids drink more soda's and sugary beverages than their non-white peers and are even more likely to be affected. In fact, the report revealed that chronic disease was attributed to sugary beverages more in younger ...
Clean water access for Californians is a large issue for many rural latino families. California has the largest Latino population in the U.S. and unfortunately many without access to uncontaminated drinking water. According to the Community Water Center, California’s San Joaquin Valley has the highest rates of contaminated drinking water as well as the greatest number of public water systems with Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) violations in the state. The good news is that Federal and State investments along with California-based organizations are working on water quality and quantity in the dry state. A new partnership focused on conserving and restoring Sierra-Cascade California Headwaters will work with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and other partners to ...
Previously: California has been a leader in creating and enacting policies that encourage individuals and organizations to cut down on sugary drinks. The city of Davis, California, which has a Latino population around 12%, is continuing the trend by moving forward with a policy that would require milk to be the default beverage choice in kids' meals rather than soda. The city ordinance could require all of Davis’ 120-plus restaurants to offer milk or water first. First 5 Yolo, a county organization that advocates for children’s health, is working with Davis leaders to craft the legislation. They envision the policy playing out like this: a restaurant server would ask the parent ordering if they would like milk or water with the kids' meal. Parents would have to specifically ...
Praxina Guerra and her mentor Cathy Lopez are true Salud Heroes when it comes to creating an environment of school health and fun. After becoming involved with a local student ambassador program and creating a school club to encourage students to adopt healthier practices, the pair collected funds for a water bottle fountain, also called a hydration station, to be installed in the school’s cafeteria. Their team also started monthly Wellness Wednesday fitness events, available to both parents and students, as a way to increase fitness opportunities for the surrounding community.
Seeing the Issue of Obesity First-Hand
According to a 2009, Bexar County assessment of obesity by school district, 40% of children enrolled in South San Antonio Independent School District (SSAISD) were ...
In Monterey and Santa Cruz counties, 57 percent of adults and teens are overweight or obese; in San Benito County, the number is even more alarming at 70 percent, according to the Monterey County Health Department. As part of their response to the epidemic, the Nutritional and Fitness Collaborative of the Central Coast (NFCCC), a collection of more than 50 organizations dedicated to improving the health of their communities, set out to understand sugary drink consumption on the Central Coast. The findings of their research were released this month at a press conference at the Monterey County Health Department. A few survey highlights include: The consumption of sugary drinks was higher than water consumption.
On average, for every glass of water consumed, 1.3 glasses of ...
