How supportive is your state of walking, bicycling, and physical activity? The Safe Routes to School National Partnership working with the YMCA of the USA, developed Making Strides: State Report Cards to provide a snapshot of how supportive each state is of walking, bicycling, and physical activity for children and adults as of 2016. Physical activity, like walking and biking, are critical to fight childhood obesity and help kids grow up healthy and avoid lifelong, burdensome chronic diseases. The report cards primarily look at state policy focusing on four key areas: Complete Streets and Active Transportation, Safe Routes to School and Active Transportation Funding, Active Neighborhoods and Schools, and State Physical Activity Planning and Support.
In addition to the state ...
SaludToday Guest Blogger
Jefferson Dental Clinics Most kids have their first dental visit by age 7. For Latinos, it's age 16. Why the big delay? About half of Latino families lack dental insurance. Latinos tend to not prioritize dental health, or they face barriers like high cost, lack of oral health knowledge, and lack of bilingual, dentists, surveys show. The result is Latino kids with twice as much untreated tooth decay and less preventative care than their peers. “Unfortunately this disparity is something that carries throughout life, since dental care starts at an early age and impacts the development of the teeth and gums,” says Dr. Leslie Townsend of Jefferson Dental Clinics. Negligence of dental care isn't just a "teeth" problem, either. It causes ...
Can stress negate the benefits of a healthy diet? Our lifestyle can influence our health and the power of stress can hurt change our bodies in a myriad of ways. According to recent research, stress can ultra metabolism, making the body become inflamed no matter if you are eating healthy foods or unhealthy foods. Janice Kiecolt-Glaser, researcher, and director of the Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research at the Ohio State University told NPR the more healthful meal was no better in terms of its impact on inflammation. The stress that was causing the inflammation in the bodies of the women studied was not life-threatening, but more about feeling in control. Inflammation in the body over long periods of time are linked to higher risks of cardiovascular disease, some ...
America Walks and the Every Body Walk! Collaborative are excited to announce the second year of Micro Grant Funding. This program will award grantees up to $1,500.00 for projects related to increasing walking and walkability. walking and walkabilty can help to bridge community divides and overcome existing disparities. Read why, according to the Surgeon General's Call to Action to Promote Walkable Communities, it is important to promote walkability and increase walking and physical activity to improve community health. Applications for the micro grant are due November 18th by 5pm Eastern. Apply ...
Researchers evaluated the cost-effectiveness of investments in bike lanes in New York and found that the return on investment is far better than many preventive approaches in medicine, like dialysis or HIV/AIDS screening and treatment. According to the new study out of the Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, every $1,297 invested in bike lanes provided benefits equivalent to one additional year of life at full health. Compare this to $50,000 spent on HIV/AIDS screening and treatment and $129,000 spent on dialysis to provide benefits equivalent to one additional year of life at full health. Read about a pilot bike lane project that received permanent upgrades. “For bike lanes, the cost per QALY [quality-adjust life years] is $1,300, a little bit higher ...
Get ready to get excited about healthy school food by celebrating national farm-to-school month! Every October farmers, families, students, educators and food enthusiasts of all ages celebrate healthy school food and raise awareness about improving child nutrition for all kids in all schools through farm-to-school programs. Our farm-to-school Salud Heroes have helped schools incorporate healthy foods in cafeterias, increase student awareness of healthy foods, grow school gardens and more! How can you get involved? Take the pledge, read inspiring stories, explore resources, or help spread the word! Learn more here! Also, follow #farmtoschool or #f2SMonth on social media to join the ...
Sodium is found in many processed food products, like cheese and lunch meats. It's also packed into some foods we don't expect, like frozen lunches or canned beans. Many times when packing a lunch for our kids we might not heed daily recommendations for our kid's sugar and sodium intake, but the American Heart Association has a list of dietary recommendations to follow to help keep sugars and sodium foods to a minimum. Also, Wral.com has suggested 8 simple ways to keep daily sodium intake low. Model healthy eating to your kids.
Consider the school lunches menu and see how healthy it can be!
Go online before dining out at night to research nutritious information on popular dishes that can help you stay in check of high sugar, sodium or calorie amounts.
Pack school ...
Seventy-three percent of parents report that their child's afterschool program is located in a public school building, according to the Afterschool Alliance. However, Latino kids in underserved communities have limited options for healthy afterschool programs, which is part of the reason they are more likely to be overweight or obese than their peers. Schools and communities must work together to create a support network to provide healthy food and active play for Latino and all children to succeed. The Alliance for a Healthier Generation consulted with seven experts to talk about why school-community collaborations are essential and how to craft successful partnerships. One of the takeaways is to utilize existing resources/facilities/networks. For example, one of the ...
The PEW Charitable Trusts is encouraging parents to eat with their kids during September and bring awareness to healthy eating during National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month. Here are some tips to help students know their parents, grandparents or family members support them in healthy eating. Make a date! Enjoy lunch with your child to see exactly what is offered in school meals and show support to school staff and students who are making healthy meal choices. This can help support mindful eating as well, giving students a warm supportive environment for healthy food choices.
School meal for dinner? Yes, that's right! Ask your school nutrition director for a recipe your child might like and make it at home for dinner. This gives children a way to get involved and parents a ...
