At the 2013 Texas Legislature, Sen. Jane Nelson (R-Flower Mound) introduced SB 65, as a way to recognize schools for creating a healthy environment. If this bill were to be enacted schools would be recognized with a bronze, silver, or gold, award according to the success of their school's fitness program. Private and non-profit entities would be allowed to provide donations and incentives to schools that receive healthy school recognition. According to the Texas Legislature Online, SB 65 was referred to public education and no action was taken in committee. Read the full text to SB 65, which would have provided recognition to schools with a healthy school ...
Miguel Villarreal is a runner up for the Golden Carrot Award for his great work getting rid of unhealthy foods in bay area schools, and replacing them with healthy, fresh ...
The Spanish Speaking Unity Council was awarded $200,000 toward converting two expanses of asphalt into healthy, safe, green, and fun schoolyards at Roosevelt School and Manzanita Elementary School in Oakland. ...
Schools like Red Hawk elementary in Erie Colorado are working to improve physical activity standards for children by starting programs like the All-School Movement Program. This program provides children with a 20 minute morning physical activity break, a 10-20 minute afternoon break, 20 minutes of daily recess, and 45 minutes of physical education at least twice a week. Although the school has already received an award for the success of their physical activity program, the school plans on finding additional ways to incorporate physical activity into students' daily lessons. ...
Young advocates received an award for their submission to the MO Project video contest. This video demonstrates many of the environmental factors which contribute to Latino childhood obesity. ...
Editor's Note: This is the story of a graduate of the 2012 Èxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training program. Apply by April 1, 2013, for the 2013 Èxito! program. Lizbeth Del Toro
Puerto Rico Puerto Rican native Lizbeth Del Toro was always encouraged by her sharp-as-a-tack grandmother, who advised her to hang with the right crowd, do her chores, and stay focused on her grades and her studies. Her grandmother passed away shortly after being diagnosed with cancer in 2010. But Del Toro took her advice to heart as she obtained a bachelor’s degree in biology/biomedical sciences from the University of Puerto Rico, works as a graduate research assistant and earned her master’s degree from the university in 2012. “Last week I ended my master’s degree program, I just ...
Sugary drinks are a top source of calories in the American diet. This is troubling because the nation is struggling with an obesity epidemic. Given that Latinos especially suffer from higher rates of obesity than several other population groups, "The Real Bears," a recent animated short film that has generated more than 2 million views on YouTube, has now been converted into Spanish. “The Real Bears,” which tells the story of a family suffering the adverse health effects of soda, including obesity, tooth decay, and diabetes and its associated complications, including amputation and erectile dysfunction, is produced by nonprofit group Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI). It features an original song by Grammy-award-winning singer/songwriter Jason Mraz and ...
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) has announced a Latina among the 10 recipients of the Young Leader Awards: Recognizing Leadership for a Healthier America. The honorees, recognized at a ceremony in Princeton, N.J., were chosen because they offer great promise for leading the way to improved health and health care for all Americans. Each individual, who is 40 years or younger, received $40,000. Dr. Carmen A. Peralta, an assistant professor in residence at the University of California, San Francisco, is one of the Young Leaders. She studies ways to reliably and accurately detect early kidney disease, when treatment could help prevent irreversible damage, with a focus on African Americans and Hispanics and their higher rates of end-stage kidney disease. To understand ...
"The Real Bears" is an animated short film, featuring an original song by Grammy-award-winning singer/songwriter Jason Mraz and directed by advertising legend Alex Bogusky, that tells the story of a family suffering the adverse health effects of soda, including obesity, tooth decay, and diabetes and its associated complications, including amputation and erectile dysfunction. Sugary drinks are the number one source of calories in the American diet. With one third of America overweight and another third obese, it's a wonder anyone is still swallowing what the soda companies are selling, says the Center for Science in the Public Interest, who are behind the video At the end of the video, the family of Bears decides to reclaim their health—and their happiness. ...
