According to a study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, a national penny-per-ounce excise tax on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) “could substantially reduce body mass index (BMI) and healthcare expenditures and increase healthy life expectancy.” Researchers estimated that the tax would reduce SSB consumption by 20 percent and mean BMI by 0.16 units among youth and 0.08 units among adults. They also estimate the tax would result in $23.6 billion in healthcare cost savings, generate $12.6 billion in annual revenue, and gain 871,000 quality-adjusted life years. Latinos would likely benefit substantially from a nationwide soda tax, considering they are more likely to drink sodas, be overweight/obese and not have adequate health care. Read the full SSB tax ...
Obesity is a serious public health problem in the US and can affect anyone regardless of age. In particular, childhood obesity prevalence remains high. As well as compromising a child's immediate health, obesity can also negatively influence long-term health dramatically. Unfortunately, some racial and ethnic groups are affected by obesity much more than others. On average, childhood obesity in the US has not changed significantly since 2003-2004, and overall, approximately 17% of all children and adolescents aged 2-19 years are obese - a total of 12.7 million. Significant disparities exist in obesity prevalence between different racial and ethnic groups. The CDC report the following obesity prevalence percentages among different youth demographics: Hispanic youth - ...
One day a week, cut out the meat. This is the slogan of the Meatless Monday's. Meatless Monday's are one of the ways to help K-12 schools' diets become more sustainable and healthy. Since the movement's conception back in 2003, famous supporters like Oprah Winfrey, Paul McCartney, and Ellen DeGeneres, have taken part to help bring awareness and various restaurants and organizations have jumped onboard as well. Through the years Meatless Mondays has become an international movement and schools across the United States have been implementing this movement along with the guidelines for the USDA’s National School Lunch Program. This free online cookbook gives 30 recipes on various tasty meatless options to start a Meatless Monday movement in any school. To find more ...
SaludToday Guest Blogger
Jefferson Dental Clinics Crispy veggies and sweet fruits make great-tasting, healthy treats. But did you know, they can also give you a healthier smile and fight gum disease? Nearly 67% of Mexican Americans suffer gum (periodontal) disease, an exponentially higher rate than other races/ethnicities. Periodontal disease forms pockets around the teeth, where bacteria and buildup accumulate, and if untreated can lead to bone and tissue erosion in the jaw. In severe cases, sufferers may experience tooth loss. What should you eat for proper oral health? Oral health experts from Jefferson Dental Clinics, in honor of National Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Month in June, recommend incorporating these five essential vitamin- and mineral-rich foods to support ...
Healthy eating involves knowing what to eat, and when to eat it. When a certain food is more available to eat, it is easier to find in local farmers markets.
Knowing where to find the best and most available food is sometimes a difficult task, unless you have this handy little tool. Just put in your state, and what season (month) you are in to get the local grown foods that are most abundant in this season. Get your local greens, corn and squash in the closest farmer's market. Make sure to buy what is in season, as these fruits and vegetables are freshest, most nutritious, and less expensive then out-of-season ...
Communities of color bear a disproportionate burden of risks for heart disease and stroke in the U.S. For this reason, the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association created EmPowered To Serve, an online mega-community of diverse individuals and organizations united in building sustainable cultures of health in communities across the country. “When people join EmPowered To Serve, they have the opportunity to assess their personal health, assess the health of their community or environment and work on an action plan to improve problem areas. The aim of the platform is for communities to achieve at least a 10 percent improvement in health, which is measured through a post action plan assessment,” says Clyde Yancy, M.D., Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine ...
Childhood obesity is a worldwide pandemic requiring collaboration at the local, state, federal and international level. The National Collaborative on Childhood Obesity Research (NCCOR) recently released a report, Lessons Learned from Global Efforts, which highlights promising and innovative global strategies that: Promote healthy eating and active living
Address inequities and disparities Establish accountable public health-industry partnerships For example, successful efforts include labeling, taxing and restricting marketing of junk food in Latin countries. Similarly, recommendations include improving equity in built environment factors such as walkability, access to parks, and aesthetics. "This requires a recognition that different socioeconomic groups respond ...
A recent study by the University of Montreal, reveals that toddlers are more likely to be obese if parent's smoke around them. Professor Linda Pagani, who led the study stated that, “By the age of ten, the children who had been intermittently or continuously exposed to smoke were likely to have waists that were up to three-fifths of an inch wider than their peers. And their BMI scores were likely to be between .48 and .81 points higher. This prospective association is almost as large as the influence of smoking while pregnant.” Latino homes are decreasing in smoking habits, according to the American Lung Association. However, Latino families are still at risk of this effect with the overall population of 12.1% of Hispanics still smoking, according to 2013 reports. To ...
Better food equals better sales growth for supermarkets, shows recent studies. Selling lower calorie foods or healthier foods, may actually be good for supermarket's business goals. A study done over four years by Hudson Institute has researched the link between low-calorie foods and the sales of supermarkets, restaurants and some food companies. Their research has shown that these markets benefit financially when selling more low-calorific foods. Food deserts, where many Latinos live, even show growth in sales for lower calorie intake, as shown from the study's graphic below. There is still need for more healthy options in food deserts, and food marketers are still spending millions on ads that target Latino youth with high-sugar and high-fat foods. To find out more ...
