Sandra San Miguel de Majors, a research instructor at the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at the Health Science Center at San Antonio, touted the use of community health workers—called promotores—to improve people's health at the Latina Health Policy Briefing for Promotores de Salud on Sept. 26, 2012, at the White House in Washington, D.C. The policy briefing, organized by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to review the affordable care act, united key Latino health care providers, researchers, stakeholders and promotores to discuss successful evidenced-based Latino research initiatives utilizing promotores. The briefing featured Cecilia Muñoz, director of the White House Domestic Policy Council and Kathleen Sebelius, HHS secretary. San ...
Editor's Note: Apply by March 15 for the 2013 Èxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training program. Elie Benavidez, a master’s-degree student at The University of Texas at San Antonio, already is making strides to improve the lives of Latinos. She teaches elementary-school students and volunteers her time to increase local access to healthy food. Now Benavidez, inspired by her mother’s cancer battle, is considering seeking a doctoral degree and doing cancer research. That’s why she and 19 other master’s-level students or health professionals joined the Institute for Health Promotion Research’s second-annual Summer Institute of Éxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training on June 7-11, 2012, in San Antonio. Exito! encourages participants to pursue a doctoral ...
Mexican-American children ages 2-19 are more likely to be obese or overweight than their peers. That’s why we're excited to announce that Salud America! The RWJF Research Network to Prevent Obesity Among Latino Children has received a two-year, $2.1 million grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) for its ongoing pursuit of policy and environmental solutions to the epidemic of Latino childhood obesity across the nation. Salud America! will expand its 2,000-member network and develop an innovative system to support, inform, and empower advocates to prevent Latino childhood obesity. This Web-based advocacy support system will unite science and multimedia experts to produce a continuous stream of evidence-based news, research, training, and education on Latino ...
September is National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month and tennis is a great sport to get your kids active. Attend a United States Tennis Association (USTA) Free Tennis Play Day in celebration of Nickelodeon’s Worldwide Day. From Sept. 1-Oct. 6, there are thousands of events taking place across the country, and there’s sure to be one near you. USTA Free Tennis Play Days are free to attend and welcome to all skill levels. The Free Tennis Play Day is part of the USTA's commitment to encourage kids to live healthy and active lifestyles through tennis. To find an event near you, go ...
States could dramatically cut health care costs and prevent obesity-related diseases if they reduce the average body mass index (BMI) of their residents by just 5% by 2030, according to a new analysis in the F as in Fat: How Obesity Threatens America's Future 2012 report. The report, released this week by Trust for America's Health (TFAH) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), also shows that if adult obesity rates continue on their current trajectories, by 2030 all 50 states could have rates above 44% and a quarter could have rates above 60%. With that, the number of new cases of type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease and stroke, hypertension and arthritis could increase 10-fold by 2020—and double again by 2030. Like obesity, these are diseases that disproportionately ...
By SaludToday Guest Blogger: Lizbeth Barrera I come from a Mexican-American family where food is part of our culture. Coming together and enjoying our traditional plates is something I cherish. I grew up eating chilaquiles, enchiladas, sopes—basically all those yummy "antojitos." My struggle with my own weight caused me to realize that we need to eat these traditionally fried foods in moderation. Our cuisine is delicious and unique, but we must think twice before consuming it daily. The peak of my weight gain occurred in college. At the University of California, Berkeley, I cooked what I learned from my mom's kitchen, and ate a lot of fast food. I had a college degree under my belt, but also 155 pounds. It might not seem like a lot, but I am only 5-feet, 1-inch ...
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 ...
