Students in Virginia are weighing in on the impact of soda and sugary beverages through the local public health "Rev Your Bev" campaigns. The campaign that aims at fighting obesity in kids and teens, where, according to a local article, 30% of teens are either overweight or obese, and according to the state's campaigns site, 33% of 5-19-year-olds consume at least one sugary beverage a day. The Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth (VFHY) representatives have been visiting schools with the "Rev Your Bev" educational campaign informing students of the high amount of sugar in their favorite sugary drinks and having students taste test other healthier options, like infused waters. Even youth are getting in on the movement, where Virginia's largest youth-led movement, "Y-Street" ...
According to researchers from the American University in Washington, Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) behaviors may be reduced with healthier living habits. Reducing screen time, drinking more water and making time for exercise were all recommendations by lead study author Kathleen Holton, who explained in a recent article that all kids who follow these healthy habits will benefit. Researchers studied and compared data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the National Sleep Foundation, recommending children to exercise at least one hour a day, no more than two hours of screen time and reducing the consumption of sugary beverages. Latino kids are more likely to drink sugary beverages than their white peers, having ...
SaludToday Guest Blogger
Susan Fisher-Owens, MD, MPH, FAAP, Campaign for Dental Health To eat healthy and nutritious foods, it helps to have healthy teeth! Did you know that your child’s doctor can help with that? Hispanic children have more tooth decay in their baby teeth and permanent teeth than white non-Hispanic children. And that decay is more likely to be more severe and to go untreated. The good news is that it’s easy to protect teeth. Fluoride, in the form of fluoridated toothpaste, fluoridated water and fluoride varnish, works to not only prevent dental caries, but even to reverse early signs of decay. Here is what you need to know. Fluoride varnish is a concentrated form of toothpaste that is brushed onto your child’s teeth by someone working in the ...
If you’re like millions of Latino families you’ll most likely be honoring those who served our country with a carne asada, pozole and other delicious, but not so healthy Latino dishes. According to the latest national health report card, Latinos continue to suffer from obesity in the U.S. Let’s do something different this year and celebrate Memorial Day the healthy way. Here are 3 ways to have a fun and healthy Memorial Day: Organize a futbol match in the park: There’s no better way to spend a beautiful day in the park than by playing a short soccer match with tios, tias and primos (as); it will not only be a perfect family bonding time, but it’ll help you burn a few calories. Walking challenge: Challenge your family members to go for a 1 or 2 mile walk! ...
Researchers at Purdue University have found evidence that diet soda may not be the healthiest option if you’re trying to lose weight or improve your health. According to numerous studies reviewed by the group of researchers led by Prof. Susan Swithers diet soda may not be the solution to fight obesity—in fact, it may lead to obesity, diabetes and heart disease. "The concern that these non-caloric sweeteners might not be healthy is a message that many people do not want to hear, especially as the prevalence of artificial sweeteners increases in other products," Swithers said. If you want to stay fit and healthy the best option will always be ...
Students across the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), participated in the Healthy Schools Campaign healthy cooking contests. Students were challenged to create a nutritious lunch that includes fresh fruit and vegetables, meets USDA nutrition guidelines, be under 760 calories and costs less than $1.70. The challenge allows students to win a chance to represent Los Angeles across the state and serve the model meal in an all-expenses paid Cooking up Change competition in the capitol. The winner could go on from there to serve the meal to congress and become a model meal for schools across the country. Having healthy options and creative ways to get kids involved in creating healthy meals is a innovative way to change school food environments. Studies show that when ...
A study from Dr. Kevin Gordish, presented at the Experimental Biology 2016 conference, indicates that added sugars and salts increase the risk for increased blood pressure resulting in "fructose-linked hypertension." The study analyzed groups of rats whose diets mimicked the American diets high in sugary beverages and salt. One group of rats were fed drinking water with 20% fructose and another group was fed plain water, but given high salt diets in the second week, resulting in increase blood pressure and leading to hypertension. Gordish explained that the fructose intake, similar the amounts of sugary beverages we consume, decrease the body's ability to get rid of excess salt and increase sodium retention. “The specific combination of fructose and high salt introduced in the ...
Having fresh foods is vital for many schools across the country, especially for Latino kids who are more likely to be at risk for diet-related diseases like diabetes. Three school districts, Binghamton, Cortland, and Marathon are receiving a federal grant of $100,000 dollars to help students get more local fresh foods on their plates. Since 2012, the districts have been working to connect local schools with local farmers and build relationships to keep local produce in local schools. Working to continue the efforts and expand farm-to-school programs, the funds will help BOCES staff reach out to farmers and get more schools on board with buying local produce. Funds had been awarded in the past to BOCES and helped them train school staff in various activities like buying ...
Many restaurants offer the same sugary beverages on kids meals with unhealthy options like high-sugar sodas, lemonades and juices. Now Maryland lawmakers are considering a bill to help ban sodas and other sugary drinks from kids menu's in all restaurants. Wanting to help parents and kids make the healthy choice the easy choice, the bill would change kids menus to offer healthier choices like water, low-fat milk or 100 percent juices at regular price. "The choice that comes with 80 percent of restaurant kids' meals is a soda or a fruit punch, and in those cases families are always welcomed to ask for a healthy drink, but it sometimes costs $2 or $3 more to get a milk," Robi Rawl, the Sugar Free Kids Maryland Executive Director said in a recent article. According to the Center ...
