Despite historic reductions reported by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), there are still over 42 million people in the country who are classified as food insecure. Of this number, over 13 million were children. Latinos, single-parent households, and households in rural communities are among those with the highest rates of food insecurity, the Huffington Post reports. The USDA defines food insecurity as those households that are “uncertain of having, or are unable to acquire enough food to meet the needs of all their members.” This situation can be due to a variety of reasons, including having insufficient money or resources to obtain food, such as a loss of income or medical hardships. Households with children are disproportionately affected by food ...
Making healthy choices is complex. In this digital age, people are bombarded by conflicting health messages and face social and environmental barriers to carry out the most basic essentials of healthy lifestyles-eating healthy and being physically active. Latinos face added barriers to making healthy choice due to lack of access to healthy food and safe places to walk and play. It's Time Texas interviewed 50 individuals in the government, healthcare, insurance, K-12 education, academic, business and community sectors across Texas to get a better understanding of these barriers and identify local opportunities and strategies to address and remove these barriers. They compiled these interviews into a white paper and six case studies, Building a Healthier Texas. The health and ...
How supportive is your state of walking, bicycling, and physical activity? The Safe Routes to School National Partnership working with the YMCA of the USA, developed Making Strides: State Report Cards to provide a snapshot of how supportive each state is of walking, bicycling, and physical activity for children and adults as of 2016. Physical activity, like walking and biking, are critical to fight childhood obesity and help kids grow up healthy and avoid lifelong, burdensome chronic diseases. The report cards primarily look at state policy focusing on four key areas: Complete Streets and Active Transportation, Safe Routes to School and Active Transportation Funding, Active Neighborhoods and Schools, and State Physical Activity Planning and Support.
In addition to the state ...
Back in 2012, a family's vision to rebuild old farm into a flourishing urban farm started to take bloom. One of the greatest goals of the new urban farm, called Martin's Garden is that no less than 30% of what they produce or do on the property will be directed towards charities and helping others. For instance, one-third of all vegetable produce being sold to local restaurants and farmer's markets will be donated to the Atlanta Community Foodbank. The farm originated with Mr. Ora Coleman, who shared his farm with the whole community for over 5o years in Roswell, Ga. (13.4% Latino). After Tony and Shari Martin bought the farm, they worked with the city to rezone the land from suburban residential back to agriculture to refurbish up their farm. Now the farm continues to ...
SaludToday Guest Blogger
Jefferson Dental Clinics Most kids have their first dental visit by age 7. For Latinos, it's age 16. Why the big delay? About half of Latino families lack dental insurance. Latinos tend to not prioritize dental health, or they face barriers like high cost, lack of oral health knowledge, and lack of bilingual, dentists, surveys show. The result is Latino kids with twice as much untreated tooth decay and less preventative care than their peers. “Unfortunately this disparity is something that carries throughout life, since dental care starts at an early age and impacts the development of the teeth and gums,” says Dr. Leslie Townsend of Jefferson Dental Clinics. Negligence of dental care isn't just a "teeth" problem, either. It causes ...
Since the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was passed into law in 2010, millions of Americans have gained coverage or found more affordable options thanks to the tax credit. New information released by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) shows that 2.5 million Americans may now qualify for these tax credits if they shop for 2017 coverage through the Marketplace. “More than 9 million Americans already receive financial assistance through the Health Insurance Marketplace to help keep coverage affordable, but today’s data show millions more Americans could benefit,” said HHS Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell in a news release. “We encourage everyone to check out their options on HealthCare.gov or their state Marketplace and see if they qualify for financial assistance. ...
Can stress negate the benefits of a healthy diet? Our lifestyle can influence our health and the power of stress can hurt change our bodies in a myriad of ways. According to recent research, stress can ultra metabolism, making the body become inflamed no matter if you are eating healthy foods or unhealthy foods. Janice Kiecolt-Glaser, researcher, and director of the Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research at the Ohio State University told NPR the more healthful meal was no better in terms of its impact on inflammation. The stress that was causing the inflammation in the bodies of the women studied was not life-threatening, but more about feeling in control. Inflammation in the body over long periods of time are linked to higher risks of cardiovascular disease, some ...
A new bill supporting urban agriculture in Michigan (5% Latino) will open up doors for new economic opportunities and create new ways to increase access to healthy foods. The Urban Agriculture Acto of 2016, announced by Michigan Senator Stabenow will allow more support for urban farmers with new financial tools, support for research, and allow for healthy food to be grown in community gardens and neighborhood farms. “Urban agriculture is steadily growing in cities and towns across Michigan and across our country, creating new economic opportunities and safer, healthier environments,” Senator Stabenow told the local press. “The Urban Agriculture Act will continue this momentum by helping urban farmers get started or expand their business, so they can sell more products and ...
America Walks and the Every Body Walk! Collaborative are excited to announce the second year of Micro Grant Funding. This program will award grantees up to $1,500.00 for projects related to increasing walking and walkability. walking and walkabilty can help to bridge community divides and overcome existing disparities. Read why, according to the Surgeon General's Call to Action to Promote Walkable Communities, it is important to promote walkability and increase walking and physical activity to improve community health. Applications for the micro grant are due November 18th by 5pm Eastern. Apply ...
