New research centers in Harvard and John Hopkins and USC will work to address research in hopes to improve health in communities overburdened by pollution and environmental factors. The Maternal and Developmental Risks from Environmental and Social Stressors Center (MADRES) will recruit and research 750 mother -infant pairs from low-income urban hospitals in the Los Angeles area over three years to determine how environmental factors impact child weight, and how psychological stress and behavior risk factors impact the mother's weight gain before and after pregnancy. Pollution was been shown to be a key factor in pregnant rats gaining weight within a recent study. Latino's are often faced with higher risks for obesity, explained Keck School of Medicine professor, Carrie Breton, ...
A recent news article announced that former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg will help provide financial support the nonprofit Philadelphians for a Fair Future. The Philadelphians for a Fair Future group is currently working on an ad campaign to support a 3 cents per ounce soda tax, which will raise support in the millions for universal pre-k and community schools for parks and library improvements. Other news articles even show a study from Harvard that reports that Philadelphia could save over $190 million in health-care costs if the proposal is passed. The American Beverage Association has spent millions in ads towards Latino kids and has spent millions in working against similar soda tax and labeling proposals across the nation, Research shows that Latino kids are ...
Pediatrician Dr. Alejandro Clavier is working on reversing diabetes and childhood obesity for his Latino patients at Saint Anthony Hospital in Chicago. In a recent article, Dr. Clavier says,"I tell my patients that if they can remember one thing, remember to drink water," he said. Dr. Clavier explains to his patients and their families the harm of sugary drinks and encourages them to only have water and homemade juices with no sugar available for the kids at home. Latino kids experience a higher risk for diet-related diseases like diabetes, and studies show that about 74 percent of Latino children have had a sugary drink by age two. Dr. Clavier encourages healthier foods in Latino homes, telling families to choose water and to remember that nothing is worth sacrificing their ...
This is part of our Latina Mom and Baby Health: A Research Review »
Maternal obesity a factor
Studies have shown that maternal obesity and lower social class are both associated with a tendency to formula feed and a greater risk of obesity in children.4 In fact, parental obesity is considered a strong predictor of obesity in offspring, which can be due to both environmental and genetic components.5,6 Results from the Viva La Familia Study in 2009 outlined genetic and environmental risk factors linked to childhood obesity in 1,030 Latino children from Houston.7 Findings confirmed that maternal obesity was indeed an independent risk factor for childhood obesity within this population; Latina mothers ≥30 kg/m2 gave birth to children that were 1.8 times more likely to be ...
How can one family have an impact on reducing obesity in their school and beyond? Just look at the Surani sisters of Corpus Christi, Texas. After learning that their city had been named the fattest in the nation and how obesity is a huge health threat among children, the three girls wanted to take action They, with the help of their parents and others, created several programs to improve children’s health, including the iConquer program to help kids beat obesity by achieving healthy lifestyles starting from the early ages of 3 to 6 years old.
Sister History of Health
Fifteen-year-old Zoya Surani, along with sisters Sara (19) and Saherish (16), grew up in a household where healthy choices were commonplace. Their father, a pulmonologist, and mother, a respiratory therapist, ...
A recent study from the Harvard Prevention Research Center and conducted by The Childhood Obesity Intervention Cost Effectiveness Study (CHOICES) team shows the relevance of policy in combating obesity-related health costs. The study looked at interventions at a national policy level to help prevent obesity that would more than pay for themselves by reducing healthcare costs related to obesity. Projections on these interventions could respectively prevent 576,000, 129,100, and 345,000 cases of childhood obesity, in 2025. The study highlights the importance of prioritizing primary preventions for policy makers aiming to reduce childhood obesity. The study also shows the importance of maintaining policies like the Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 and reveals future policies that may help ...
The Endocrine Society recently published research that reveals exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) is associated with increased risk of developing diabetes and obesity. These common chemicals are found in everyday items like food can linings, cash register receipts, plastics, cosmetics, flame retardants and pesticides. “The evidence is more definitive than ever before – EDCs disrupt hormones in a manner that harms human health,” said Andrea C. Gore in a recent Newswise article. Professor and Vacek Chair of Pharmacology at the University of Texas at Austin and chair of the task force that developed the statement Gore went on to state that, “Hundreds of studies are pointing to the same conclusion, whether they are long-term epidemiological studies in human, ...
On or before January 1, 2017, Illinois (16.7% Latino) airports must provide a private space at each airport terminal for mother's to express breast milk. The Illinois public act, Lactation Accommodation in Airports Act, states that these private nursing spaces cannot be in a public restroom and they must include a chair and an electrical outlet. Chicago O'Hare International Airport had already opened a room for nursing mothers in one terminal in September 2014 and plans to open a room in each of the three other terminals by the end of 2015. Low breastfeeding and high formula use negatively impact kid's weight. Not only do health professionals and public health officials agree that breastfeeding is beneficial for the mother and baby, but state lawmakers do as ...
The phrase "move more, sit less" is gaining popularity across community sectors that are not traditionally associated with public health, although they should be. Teachers, for example, understand that a sitting kid is not necessarily a focus kid, and they are beginning to appreciate that an active body is an active mind. Additionally, architects understand that most Americans spend about 90% of their day indoors and they are beginning to appreciate how influential the indoor built environment is on health behavior. Matt Trowbridge, an associate professor at the University of Virginia said, "The environments in which we live affect not just our behaviors, but our lifelong attitudes about things like healthy eating and active lifestyles," he says. Buckingham school district (39% ...
