A new report on the recent 2nd Annual SALSI Research Forum: Latino Obesity highlights innovative strategies and programs to reduce obesity among San Antonio and South Texas Latinos. Nearly 75% of Latinos were overweight or obese in Texas as of 2009. That’s why Latino obesity-focused research and programs are so vital. “The researchers and leaders present at the forum are working at ‘ground zero’ of the Latino obesity epidemic in Texas,” said Dr. Amelie Ramirez, director of the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at The UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, which coordinated the forum with UT San Antonio. “It’s important to highlight these efforts to better understand what works to encourage Latinos’ healthier lifestyles.” The forum on May 10, ...
Dr. Deborah Parra-Medina, a professor at the Institute for Health Promotion Research at The UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, is leading a new project to teach Latina moms and daughters in South Texas about the HPV and cervical cancer, which disproportionately affects Latinas. Conexión, a publication of the San Antonio Express-News, has more:
A new program called Entre Mujeres from the Cancer Therapy & Research Center at the UT Health Science center will allow mothers and daughters, ages 11-17, in the lower Rio Grande Valley to come together in a unique setting to educate themselves on HPV and its prevention.
Entre Mujeres will combine community health workers, or “promotoras,” and college students from UT Pan American's Kappa Delta Chi sorority to present educational ...
The Social and Health Research Center in San Antonio has received a $2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to use cameras and innovative computer software to estimate children’s dietary intake. The proposed instrument is the Digital Food Imaging Analysis technique (DFIA). The DFIA will program cameras and develop software to interface with the USDA nutrition database for nutrient analysis, in hopes of providing the most comprehensive and quantitative estimation of children’s food consumption and nutrient analysis. The system would photograph kids' meal trays before and after they ate. The computer system would analyze the photos to calculate exact calories eaten and values of more than 100 other nutrients. Parents will receive the data for their ...
Sylvia Meléndez Klinger, a registered dietitian and founder of Hispanic Food Communications, offered several tips for healthy Latin meals in a recent column for Fox News Latino: Alternatives to frying and tips for using oil. For example, use vegetable oil such as canola oil or olive oil instead of lard.
Tasty seasoning suggestions. Use cinnamon for sweet potatoes, cereals, hot beverages, etc., and limit the amount of oil and, if needed, use no more than 1 to 2 teaspoons of olive oil
Trimming the fat. Trim the fat from the meat and throw it away before preparing beef, lamb or pork. Also, choose extra lean cuts and go easy on the cheese.
Trimming the calories. For flan, switch condensed milk for skim or fat-free condensed milk, or use egg substitute for whole eggs. ...
Efforts to reverse the childhood obesity epidemic are reaching new heights all across San Antonio, a city with a large Latino population: City officials have rolled out SAbalance, a new Web site and social media campaign to increase awareness of local health and wellness opportunities.
Mayor Julián Castro has placed public health and education on the front-burner of the city’s agenda.
The mayor also appointed a Mayor’s Fitness Council, which features Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, director of the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at The UT Health Science Center at San Antonio.
Dr. Ramirez leads Salud America! The RWJF Research Network to Prevent Obesity Among Latino Children, based at the IHPR.
IHPR researchers are working with the Girl Scouts of Southwest Texas to ...
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. SaludToday Guest Blogger: Debra Joy Pérez Latinos in the United States are disproportionately affected by childhood obesity, chronic disease, access to health care and other health issues—all of which are impacted by social and economic factors in the communities in which we live, learn, work and play. Understanding these issues in their larger context is critical to addressing and solving them. And Latino media play a major role in helping us do both. In 2009, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) polled Latino and African-American journalists about what information they most needed for reporting on major health ...
The Tobacco Research Network on Disparities (TReND) has announced the release of the special journal issue, Cigarette Smoking Interventions Among Diverse Populations. This issue, published in the American Journal of Health Promotion, includes 15 papers that provide insight into how to effectively reduce tobacco's impact on populations who are disproportionately affected by tobacco use, including African Americans and Latinos. In the issue, researchers examine the use and efficacy of evidence-based interventions among diverse ...
The "Garden Angel" program at Oak Meadow Elementary School in San Antonio, supported by parent and grandparent volunteers, promotes nutritious eating and reinforces the school's commitment to health as a member of the Alliance for a Healthier Generation’s Healthy Schools Program. Students take part in planting, caring for and harvesting vegetables throughout the year. Students are encouraged to experiment with new tastes and try new vegetables. “Children learn early on that taking an active role in a garden can be rewarding," said Lori Chapa, outdoor classroom coordinator at the school. "They take pride in the garden they have cared for and are excited to eat what they have grown. We hope this practice will promote healthier eating habits and lifestyles today and for years ...
The 2nd Annual SALSI Research Forum: Latino Obesity united UT Health Science Center at San Antonio (UTHSCSA), UT San Antonio (UTSA), and community researchers and advocates to share current Latino health disparities and obesity research and program advancements on May 10, 2011, in San Antonio. ""It's important to highlight and learn from these efforts, to gain better knowledge of what works best to encourage healthier lifestyles among Latinos," said Dr. Amelie Ramirez, director of the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at UTHSCSA, the team that coordinated the forum with UTSA. The forum was made possible by the San Antonio Life Science Institute (SALSI). VIDEO: UT San Antonio Researchers: Drs. Zenong Yin, Meizi He, Lesli Biediger-Friedman, and Gayle ...
