It’s time for the second annual series of workshops dedicated to supporting and fostering healthy lifestyles and positive health outcomes through nutrition and physical activity. Growing Healthy Texas offers FREE 2-day training events in six different regions of Texas over the summer. Whether you are an educator, health professional, government leader or community organizer, if you are interested in supporting healthy lifestyles then you belong at these training events. Following is a list of courses offered under the three education tracks: education and innovation; success and sustainability; and communities in collaboration. Education and Innovation: Identifying Healthy Choices It's More Than an App: Technology Innovations that Educate and Promote Healthy ...
In a study published in the International Journal of Obesity, scientists compared data on contemporary children with those of the 1980's. They discovered that the rise in obesity among very young children is predominantly in families where the parents are obese. Toddlers as a whole have not changed. By contrast, obesity among adolescents has not been restricted to those with obese parents, but has occurred across the entire age group. The data suggests that parenting is the primary determinant of obesity in early years, whereas peer influence plays a larger role later on. Full Article ...
Why walk to school? Is it safe? Local Safe Routes to School Programs are only successful when they are used by the public. The Ohio Safe Routes Academy is helping their community understand the reasons why to use these programs and offering free workshops on ways to implement the programs in their own schools. They will be providing workshops on, Walking School Bus Training, Crossing Guard Training, Non-Infrastructure Implementation, How to Conduct a Walk Audit, Girls in Gear, and many other similar topics. The workshops will be free and benefit not only students, but also families and all residents in Ohio. To learn more about Ohio's next webinars and workshops, click here. To find out what can work in your community to help make the ways to school safer, check out ...
Gardens are a source of life, community and even faith at times. Blessed Tomorrow and GreenFaith Leadership Programs are encouraging people of all faiths to grow a garden and be blessed. Having access to fresh fruits, vegetables and other nutritious food is a must for Latino families, considering Latino neighborhoods have one-third the number of supermarkets as non-Latino neighborhoods. Encouraging Latino faith communities to build gardens is just one real way of bringing better food to their families. For resources on how to incorporate faith, climate and tools on getting your faith community involved, click here. To read about how some Latino youth are making gardens grow in their communities, check out this Salud ...
The benefits of Safe Routes to School include increased physical activity, improved traffic safety, better air quality, enhanced personal safety, long-term cost savings, and greater student academic achievement. Latinos are disproportionately burdened by unsafe transportation environments. In order to reduce Latino childhood obesity and prevent pedestrian injuries, families, schools and communities need to work together. Here are 8 steps to create a Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Program. It may be useful to first understand the processes and people involved in SRTS. The Safe Routes to School National Partnership has developed a toolkit of action briefs, Powerpoint slides and webinars to understand the processes and people involved in SRTS, which include: Municipal ...
SNAP 2 it! is copying similar programs from around the country, where recipients of the the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, can get each dollar spent on these fresh foods matched. A recent article, talks about the local farmer's markets involved in the program: Schlafly’s Bottleworks, Webster Groves Farmers Market, Cherokee Street Farmers Market, International Institute of St. Louis Global Farms, North City Farmers Market, and Tower Grove Farmers Market, as well as the Earth Dance booth at the Ferguson Farmers Market. By making the food more affordable and multiplying the dollar-for-dollar model, they hope to bring in a more diverse population for customers using EBT and other similar payment ...
Parks are a great way to be active and help combat obesity. July is Park and Recreation month and the "Let's Move Outside" movement is showing just how to get to your nearest park and get on the move with the latest fun park activities. The site shows map where local parks are that may be offering free programming such as: Zumba, concerts, dance classes, concerts, cooking classes, and more! Click here, find the map and get moving to the fun park activities ...
Good News!
A healthy summer is just around the corner! However, it's not always easy for some families to keep healthy meals available while schools out. If you or anyone you know is looking looking for a healthy alternative to provide healthy meals during the summer months, check out the latest Summer Feeding Programs in your area. Click here to find where you can get a free meal for kids 18 and ...
OpenIDEO is a platform to gather ideas in order to solve problems in multiple facets. One of the current questions in motion is asking how we can use technology to inspire healthier lives for multicultural groups. With over 30% of Hispanics in the US suffering from obesity and over 75% suffering with Diabetes, OpenIDEO is looking to change how the Latino population uses technology to advance health outcomes for their communities. Partnering with NBCUniversal and Telemundo to promote this challenge together OpenIDEO is looking to find immediate ideas and actions that can be implemented quickly and proven on a small scale. "In this challenge, we recognize that young people are the largest influencers of a community’s health future. That’s where the technology piece comes ...
