The Latest Advancements in Tackling Latino Child Obesity



How can... a videonovela teach about diabetes? (Pg 1) a non-exerciser become a promoter? (Pg 3) activity breaks keep kids fit? (Pg 5) new policy tools aid your work? (Pg 6) Find out in the latest E-newsletter from Salud America!, a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) network to prevent obesity among Latino kids. Also find lots more news, research and funding inside the E-newsletter, and discover the preliminary research results of a quartet of Salud America! grantees working in Latino after-school programs, community recreational centers and more. Salud America! is funded by RWJF and directed by the Institute for Health Promotion Research at The UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, which developed SaludToday. To sign up to receive Salud America! E-newsletters, ...

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New, Bilingual Web Resources Help Hispanic Families Address Teen Drug and Alcohol Use



The Partnership at Drugfree.org announced the launch of new tools, accessible at HablaConTusHijos, for Hispanic parents and families who are struggling to address drug and alcohol abuse by their children. New research from the Partnership Attitude Tracking Study (PATS) shows that Hispanic teens are using drugs at alarmingly higher levels when compared to teens from other ethnic groups. About 54% of Hispanic teens reported having used an illicit drug in the past year, versus 42% of African-American and 39% of Caucasian teens. The comprehensive tools at HablaConTusHijos provide effective, yet easy-to-use, resources equipping Hispanic parents and grandparents to take action in preventing teen substance abuse. Clear, understandable content is brought to life with customized checklists, ...

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Poll: Hispanics Among Most Severely Obese Populations



Blacks and Hispanics are among the most likely in the United States to be very obese, according to a new Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index. About 6% of blacks and 3.4% of Hispanics fall into the highest Body Mass Index (BMI) category ...

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VIDEO: Why Is P.E. Important?



Check out this cool new video from Active Living Research, a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation national program, about characteristics of quality physical education and barriers to its delivery and the relationship between physical education and academic achievement. The video is in English or Spanish or ...

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Changing Perceptions of Childhood Obesity Within the Latino Community



With childhood obesity continuing to hit harder in the Latino community, 30 Hispanic journalists gathered in Los Angeles last month to hear experts talk about solutions. The panel discussion, sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), was part of a daylong National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) Region 8 Conference at the University of Southern California (USC) Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism. The journalists represented outlets spanning national and local broadcast, print and online media, including Univision, KCPP 89.9 FM (California’s leading NPR-affiliate station) and The Orange County Register. Abelardo de la Peña, editor of LatinoLA.com, moderated the event. The panelists work on childhood obesity prevention at the community, school ...

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Latina Researcher Named a ‘First Lady’ of Prestigious Cancer Council


Amelie Ramirez

Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, professor and director of the Institute for Health Promotion Research at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, the team behind SaludToday, was recognized as a “First Lady” of the Intercultural Cancer Council, which promotes policies, programs and research to eliminate the unequal burden of cancer among racial/ethnic minorities and medically underserved populations. The council, based at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, chooses “First Lady” honorees for their long-term and outstanding achievements in health and science. Ramirez participated in a First Ladies award ceremony June 27, a day before the Biennial Symposium on Minorities, the Medically Underserved and Health Equity in Houston, hosted by the council, the ...

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VIDEO: Creating ‘Policy Change Agents’ to Reduce Latino Childhood Obesity



In its effort to reduce the Latino childhood obesity epidemic, Salud America!—through the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF)—funded 20 pilot research projects to build the field of Latino researchers and increase evidence to fight Latino childhood obesity. The resulting 20 Salud America! pilot grantees have since tested innovative interventions and evaluations in Latino childhood nutrition, fitness and policy. The grants are "career-builders," helping grantees leverage their data to get a foothold at their institutions, as well as embark on larger-scale work based off their successful pilot results. The 20 grantees already have accrued more than $30 million in new funding, and more proposals are in review and development. They also are sharing their individual research ...

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Infographic: How Much Does it Take to Burn Off a Coke, Arizona Tea or a Big Gulp?



Check out this neat infographic from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on how much effort it would take to burn off different ...

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VIDEOS: Latinos Make Healthy Lifestyle Changes, Lose Weight



Kaiser Permanente has released several videos of Latinos who are making healthier lifestyle choices. Jesus Lopez, for example, began avoiding his scale when his weight passed 220 pounds. Jesus, a department administrator and registered nurse at Kaiser Permanente Fontana Medical Center, learned that he was pre-diabetic after a concerned physician friend convinced him to get blood work done. Finding out that his weight posed a health risk spurred Jesus to started walking before breakfast, working out, and reducing portion sizes at meal times. Those changes led to a 50-pound weight loss. At 27, Jorge Hernandez stood 5'10" and tipped the scale at 270 pounds. In 2007, he got a literal wake-up call when vibrations running through his chest jolted him awake. Dr. David Townsend of ...

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