Latinos, African Americans and women are disproportionately affected by both obesity and osteoarthritis (OA), the most common form of arthritis, which is characterized by the breakdown of cartilage that acts as a cushion at the ends of bones. On Sept. 18-19, 2012, Movement is Life will convene for its third annual National Caucus on Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Health Disparities. At this year’s meeting, the cause and effect relationship between osteoarthritis and obesity will be at the forefront of discussions. “For patients with osteoarthritis, the friction produced when bones grind against one another causes chronic pain and stiffness. As a result, many limit their physical activity, which often leads to weight gain,” said Dr. Mary O'Connor of the Mayo Clinic Florida ...
America's obesity epidemic is so deeply rooted that it will take dramatic and systemic measures—from overhauling farm policies and zoning laws to, possibly, introducing a soda tax—to fix it, according to a new report released May 8, 2012, by the influential Institute of Medicine (IOM), Reuters reports. The 478-page report, according to Reuters, refutes the idea that obesity is largely the result of a lack of willpower on the part of individuals:
Instead, it embraces policy proposals that have met with stiff resistance from the food industry and lawmakers, arguing that multiple strategies will be needed to make the U.S. environment less "obesogenic."
The IOM, part of the National Academies, offers advice to the government and others on health issues. Its report was released at ...
Check out the latest in health disparities—from new efforts by promotoras to help Latino cancer patients to a new study to see what type of exercise best prevents breast cancer recurrence—in the latest E-newsletter from the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. View the IHPR E-newsletter to see: Story and Video: Promotoras Help Latino Cancer Patients (Pg 1)
Story: IHPR Staffer Learns ‘True Meaning of Despair’ in Brazil (Pg 2)
Story: Exito! Program Trains Latino Doctoral Hopefuls (Pg 4)
Story and Video: Local Cancer Survivors Help Test Which Exercise is Best (Pg 5)
Story and Videos: Addressing Texas’ Latino Obesity Epidemic (Pg 6)
Story: Like Mother, Like Daughter: Rodriguez Duo ...
The number of Texans who are overweight or obese continues to grow, accounting for a significant jump in the costs borne by Texas employers, according to the Texas State Comptroller of Public Affairs's new report, "Gaining Costs, Losing Time: The Obesity Crisis in Texas." Today, 66.7% of adult Texans are overweight or obese, up from 64.1% in 2005. In Texas, Hispanic and black adults had the highest obesity rates in 2009, at 36.4% and 35.7%, respectively. Child obesity is more common among blacks and Hispanics, too. And Hispanics, which are Texas’ fastest-growing population group, are expected to drive obesity rates higher in future years. The rising cost of treating obesity-related diseases and an aging population with higher rates of obesity also have increased the ...
Check out this Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) blog about Unity Health Care, which runs a health center in a Washington, D.C., area that is home to many recent Mexican and Central American immigrants: A 2008 study showed that, among the Latino population in DC, 60 percent of kids were overweight or obese—a staggering number, and one that Unity wanted to address.
On Wednesday morning at APHA, Dr. Eleni O’Donovan explained how they did.
O’Donovan and her colleagues began by adapting the national program We Can (Ways to Enhance Children’s Activity and Nutrition) to fit the needs of their center. They identified ways they could help local families, who were already coming to the health center for other services, eat healthier foods and be more active. Using ...
Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, director of the Institute for Health Promotion Research at The UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, recently discussed challenges and solutions to Latino childhood obesity as a guest on “Conversations on Health Care,” a weekly radio show airing in Connecticut, Minnesota and Michigan made possible by the Connecticut-based Community Health Center, Inc. The show features experts in health care innovation and reform. Dr. Ramirez talks about the Latino childhood obesity epidemic and her Salud America! program’s efforts to reduce the epidemic. Dr. Ramirez has spent 30 years directing many research programs focused on human and organizational communication to reduce chronic disease and cancer health disparities affecting Latinos. Listen to the ...
Go here to listen to Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, leader of SaludToday, in a radio interview about the challenges of Latino childhood obesity and her Salud America! program’s efforts to reduce the epidemic. Dr. Ramirez was a guest on “Conversations on Health Care,” a weekly radio show airing in Connecticut, Minnesota and Michigan featuring experts in health care innovation and reform. The show is made possible by the Connecticut-based Community Health Center, Inc. Dr. Ramirez has spent 30 years directing many state-, federal- and privately-funded research programs focused on human and organizational communication to reduce chronic disease and cancer health disparities affecting Latinos. Under her leadership, the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at The UT ...
The summer of 2023 was one of the hottest seasons on record for some areas across the US, bringing sweltering temperatures that caused heat stroke and heat exhaustion.
Experts see this as a prime example climate change endangering health.
While extreme weather events like heat are nothing new, the frequency of these events is cause for concern, especially when it comes to health and well-being.
To tackle some of these issues, the World Health Organization (WHO) has launched a new toolkit to help healthcare professionals arm themselves with knowledge about climate change and health.
Communicating on climate change and health toolkit for health professionals discusses the ways to start difficult conversations about climate change with patients, other providers, and officials, and find ...
USDA has approved a final rule to improve nutrition and support breastfeeding in food packages in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). The final rule includes these changes: Require WIC-eligible whole grain breakfast cereals contain a whole grain as the first ingredient.
Increase access to whole grains in breakfast cereal, bread, and grains, including "tortillas made with folic acid-fortified corn masa flour (once available in the marketplace)."
Expand whole grain options to include foods like quinoa, blue cornmeal, and teff to reflect dietary guidance and accommodate individual or cultural preferences.
Provide more convenience and options in the dairy category, including flexibility on package sizes and non-dairy substitution ...
