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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
Given the importance of helping children eat healthier food, we wanted to share with you a brief report on the nutritional values of kid’s meals at America’s top chain restaurants that involved research by Salud America! advisor Dr. Mary Story. The report, published in the journal Childhood Obesity, evaluated restaurants such as Arby’s, Burger King, Chick-fil-A, Chili’s, McDonald’s, Sonic, Subway and more. Of the 22 restaurants that had kid’s menus and available nutrition information, researchers found that 99 percent of 1,662 children’s meal combinations were of poor nutritional quality, based on key nutrition recommendations in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. At 15 of the chains, 100 percent of kid’s meal combinations failed to meet ...
Editor’s Note: This post is part of an ongoing series that will highlight the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s work in Latino communities across the country. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) are joining forces next week for an important discussion on childhood obesity in the Latino community. The event will take place June 23 during the NAHJ Region 8 conference in Los Angeles and will focus on the role Hispanic media can play in reducing the epidemic. Research shows Latino youth in the United States are more likely to be overweight or obese than their White peers and are at greater risk for developing heart disease, asthma, type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea and other health problems. The same holds true in ...
Watch these great videos of Jocelyn Martinez and Ignacio Gonzalez, just two of the 110 high school seniors and 32 college students awarded a $2,000 Kaiser Permanente Northwest Career Scholarship in 2012. Martinez wants to become a doctor of oncology, and Gonzalez a pediatrician. The scholarship program encourages diversity in the health care workforce and honors teachers that make a difference in the lives of their students. To learn more, go ...
