San Antonio Makes Big Push to Thwart Latino Childhood Obesity

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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 test a new intervention, “Be Fit with Friends,” to give Latina girls ages 11-14 new physical activity options.
• San Antonio restaurants can get involved in a healthy choices recognition program.
• Local Latino nursing students will help steer Latino families away from the long-term health effects of obesity.
• Texas lawmakers are weighing a soda tax bill.

Read more about these efforts on Pages 1 and 6 of the IHPR’s recent E-newsletter.