Thanks to recent funding from the U.S. Department of Education's Carol M. White Grant, students in grades K-12th from 67 communities across 32 different states will benefit from new and improved physical activity and nutrition programming. This year, over $33 million was awarded to schools and community organizations across the US in efforts to help students meet state standards in physical education. In order to be considered for the award, grantees must provide instruction on healthy eating habits and physical fitness activities. In addition, funded organizations must provide students with one or more of the following: instruction on how to assess physical health;
motor skills to enhance students' physical, mental, social and emotional well-being;
information on how to ...
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 ...
Latinos are the fastest-growing minority group in Washington State. Because Latino kids tend to drink more sugary drinks than their White peers, healthy beverage policies have the potential to impact Latino kids’ health in big ways. In Washington, community partners are teaming-up with schools and lawmakers to come up with ways to encourage kids to quench their thirst with water, not sugar. EMERGENCE
Awareness/Learn: Childhood obesity is a problem in the state of Washington, which is 11% Latino. In 2012, 25% of Washington children ages 2-4 who received benefits from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC; Latinos comprise about 41% of WIC participants) were overweight or obese, according to the state’s Department of Health. About 23% ...
Latinos and other people of color are also exposed to 38% more polluted air than whites, according to a University of Minnesota study, the Minnesota Post reports. The study, "National patterns in environmental injustice and inequality: Outdoor NO2 air pollution in the United States,” found that race matters more than income when it comes to exposure to outdoor nitrogen dioxide, which comes from vehicle exhaust and power plants. How much does race matter? Comparing even high-income Hispanics to low-income whites, nitrogen dioxide concentrations were still higher among high-income Hispanics, researchers found. “We were quite surprised to find such a large disparity between whites and nonwhites related to air pollution,” said Julian Marshall, the study leader, to the ...
Menus of Change: The Business of Healthy, Sustainable, Delicious Food Choices is an initiative from The Culinary Institute of America and Harvard School of Public Health that brings together chefs, scientists, agriculture experts, food store executives, and policy makers to develop business-friendly solutions to pressing social and environmental issues like obesity, food production, and declining food resources. The 2014 Menus of Change National Leadership Summit is set for June 9-11 in Cambridge, MA.
Sessions will include presentations and panel discussions on protein sourcing and the use of antibiotics, fruit and vegetable consumption, climate change, sugar-sweetened beverages, and much more. Learn all about the conference on menusofchange.org: Review the 2013 ...
The mostly Latino southern area of Santa Ana, Calif., had limited places to be active—and not a single park. Desperate for more active spaces to give them more chances to get fit and avoid disease and obesity, residents pushed for and received a new park, Corazones Verdes Park. While park construction remained underway, members of Latino Health Access sought alternative active spaces. That’s when they came up with the idea of creating a Wellness Corridor through downtown Santa Ana. Now partners from across the city are discussing ways to make the community more walkable, and residents of all ages are learning to effectively voice the need for healthy options.
EMERGENCE
Awareness: America Bracho, a Venezuelan-born physician and public health advocate for the Latino community of south ...
Latinos make up 15% of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients nationwide. In Delaware, lawmakers are considering restricting unhealthy food purchases with SNAP funds. SNAP already has some restrictions. According to the USDA, recipients cannot use the assistance to buy beer, wine, liquor, cigarettes or tobacco; any nonfood items; vitamins and medicines; any food that will be eaten in the store; and hot foods. However, among the items food stamps can be used to purchase are soft drinks, energy drinks, candy, cookies, cakes, snack crackers and ice cream. Law makers in Delaware see banning certain junk foods as a public health issue, part of the state's effort to promote wellness and reduce obesity. The bill is expected to be introduced in the State House ...
Community groups, non-profits, and everyday citizens across the U.S. work towards getting fresh, healthy foods to families who don't have them near by. In North Carolina, one of 10 states with the highest food insecurity, state lawmakers are considering a legislative solution. A bill introduced last year by Rep. Yvonne Lewis Holley initially sought incentives to encourage small grocery stores to open in food deserts. But, under the state’s current budget, funding for the bill was not possible, so it was changed to a study bill. After a few grocery stores closed in Holley’s district, fast food restaurants were left to fill the gaps. This inspired her to pursue legislation that would support healthier food options. “If we can support fast food restaurants, we can support a ...
Growing up in Spain, Dr. Marta Katalenas ate home-cooked meals made with fresh ingredients.When she moved to the United States in 1984 to learn English and become a pediatrician, she saw a different way of life that included way more treats, especially sugary juices and drinks. As she began her practice, she said she saw a growing association between kids drinking too much sugar and being overweight. Dr. Katalenas decided that if she was going to help parents set their kids on a path of health, she needed to get the whole community involved in reducing sugary drink consumption—so she made reducing sugary drinks part of her new monthly health challenge for families.
EMERGENCE Awareness: Spain native Dr. Marta Katalenas, who moved to the U.S. in 1984 and became a board-certified ...