A new report entitled New Mexico Childhood Obesity 2013 Update provides the latest information on the prevalence of childhood obesity in the state. For this report the New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) measured the body mass index (BMI) percentile of 7,731 kindergarten and third grade students from 59 randomly selected public elementary schools. Although the percentage of overweight and obese third graders had decreased since 2010 (from 38.7% to 34.7%), the same was not true for kindergarteners. Between 2010 and 2013, obesity rates for kindergartners increased from 13.2% to 13.7%. Findings also document the highest prevalence of obesity among American Indian third grade students (29.5%), compared to Hispanic (22.8%) and White (12.8%) students. While obesity rates dropped in ...
A new report entitled New Mexico Childhood Obesity 2013 Update provides the latest information on the prevalence of childhood obesity in the state. For this report the New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) measured the body mass index (BMI) percentile of 7,731 kindergarten and third grade students from 59 randomly selected public elementary schools. Although the percentage of overweight and obese third graders had decreased since 2010 (from 38.7% to 34.7%), the same was not true for kindergarteners. Between 2010 and 2013, obesity rates for kindergartners increased from 13.2% to 13.7%. Findings also document the highest prevalence of obesity among American Indian third grade students (29.5%), compared to Hispanic (22.8%) and White (12.8%) students. While obesity rates dropped in ...
Obesity rates among children ages 2-5 dropped from 14% in 2003-04 to 8% in 2011-12, a decline of 43%, according to new federal data. The data, from the CDC and published in the February 26 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, doesn’t cite precise reasons for the decline. But it offers potential reasons: Child care centers improving nutrition and fitness standards.
Children are consuming fewer sugary drinks.
And more women are breastfeeding, which can help stave off obesity in children. First Lady Michelle Obama—who on Feb. 25 announced new proposed rules to limit marketing of unhealthy foods in schools by phasing out advertising of sugary drinks and junk food and ensuring that other promotions in schools were in line with health standards—cited ...
Obesity rates among children ages 2-5 dropped from 14% in 2003-04 to 8% in 2011-12, a decline of 43%, according to new federal data. The data, from the CDC and published in the February 26 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, doesn't cite precise reasons for the decline. But it offers potential reasons: Child care centers improving nutrition and fitness standards.
Children are consuming fewer sugary drinks.
And more women are breastfeeding, which can help stave off obesity in children. First Lady Michelle Obama—who on Feb. 25 announced new proposed rules to limit marketing of unhealthy foods in schools by phasing out advertising of sugary drinks and junk food and ensuring that other promotions in schools were in line with health standards—cited ...
Washington Governor Jay Inslee has announced his health care agenda for 2014, and set reducing and preventing childhood obesity as a top priority. One proposal would lead to revised health and fitness standards for schools. It would also deploy experts in state government to work with K-12 schools, preschools, and maternity-care programs, encouraging healthful practices such as breast feeding. Read more ...
Sugary drinks are a large component of added calories in the American diet. Latino kids have increased their consumption of sugary drinks—such as soft drinks, sports drinks, fruit-flavored drinks, and flavored milk—between 1991 and 2008, research shows. In Contra Costa, Calif., where 24% of the population is Latino, one of every three kids from low-income families are overweight or obese. A county organization worked with an advertising agency to develop a bilingual social marketing campaign, called Sugar Bites, to urge parents to choose water for their kids instead of sugary drinks.
EMERGENCE
Awareness: First 5 California is a state organization funded by Proposition 10, a statewide ballot initiative passed in 1998, to conduct health and education programs to benefit children ages ...
Editor's note: This editorial by Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez was part of a MomsRising blog carnival on Oct. 30, 2013. Food marketing to kids is a huge piece of the U.S. obesity puzzle. Latino kids are a prime target for food marketers, largely because of their large population numbers—they comprise 22% of all U.S. youth and will rise to 30% by 2025. But there are other reasons they are such a target. Latino kids have higher rates of exposure to media—TV, computers, video games, etc.—in a typical day than do their white peers, about 13 hours compared with 8.36 hours. And Latino teens have been called “superconsumers” of soda, candy, and snacks spending 4% more than non-Latino teens. The result? About 84% of kid-targeted food and drinks ads on Spanish-language TV ...
Ever wondered how to write a policy or even what a written policy may look like? If your looking to promote better health in your community then you'll want to check out the San Diego County Childhood Obesity Policy Clearinghouse. On this website you'll find numerous samples of school wellness, government and community policies. You can also find sample shared use agreements. See what others are doing and gather ideas to develop your own written policies. Then you'll be on your way to bringing change in your ...
Salud America! today released six Spanish-language animated videos that shed light on the causes of solutions to Latino childhood obesity. The videos, which are also available in English, explore the latest research into how six critical topics—marketing, school snacks, sugary drinks, neighborhood food environments, active play and access to active spaces—impact Latino child health. The videos also feature evidence-based recommendations on how to address the problem. The child-narrated videos are part of a six new packages of research materials produced by Salud America!, a national research network on Latino childhood obesity that is funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) and based at the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at the UT Health Science ...
