The Impacts of Economy on Healthy Childhood Weight



According to local news and a recent study of California school children, unemployment rates can increase a child's risk of becoming an unhealthy weight. Researcher and lead author of the study, Vanessa Oddo from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore explained that there is a trickle down effect that impact kids health. Researchers studied California's unemployment levels and house foreclosures from 2008 to 2012 along with heights and weights of 1.7 million school-aged children, more than half Latino, from the state's department of education. Students body mass index (BMI)'s were compared with economic indicators showing for every one percent increase in unemployment in a community, children had a 14% increase in BMI. However, foreclosure had a reverse ...

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Chile Labels Unhealthy Foods



A recent article reports that Santiago, Chile is working to combat obesity by providing consumers with warning labels on unhealthy foods. Chile deals with high obesity and diabetes rates. In 2014 an article reported Chile to be the fattest nation in the world, with 37% of boys overweight or obese and girls at 32%. The legislation passed back in 2012, will now be implemented with restrictions on advertising unhealthy foods to kids and also will indicate caloric content with black octagons and warnings showing high fat, sugar, sodium or caloric content. Latino kids in the U.S. also deal with higher diet-related diseases like diabetes and obesity. Studies show that incorporating guidelines in schools that restrict access to unhealthy foods and beverages positively impact ...

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Breaking News: Healthy Food Retail Act Now State Funded!



Louisiana will be seeing more grocers and farmer's markets expanding fresh food in needy areas, as the Healthy Food Retail Act has been approved for one million in funding from the state. The Governor signed the budget bill to implement the law's budget, allowing families to have more access to fresh, healthy, affordable foods. Market Umbrella and their partner Together Louisiana also provided leadership in the bill's initiative. Vah Hook of the recently said in the American Heart Association News that these efforts in the South towards food access are welcomed as food is a part of everyone's life, and these initiatives are a win-win for vulnerable communities, agricultural interests, and economic development. Copy & Share on Twitter: Congrats #Louisiana! Families will now ...

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Soccer mom creates healthy snack movement in Ohio



Mom and registered dietician in Columbus, Ohio, Sally Kuzemchak, calls herself a "soccer mom on a mission" after she found out that her kids were eating junk food and sugary beverages at all their sports and after school events. Sally saw the need to have her two kids fuel up on more than the usual sports drinks, juice boxed drinks and chips that are offered to kids. She wanted to create a grassroots effort to stop unhealthy snacking patterns for the sake of her and other kid's health. So Sally created a healthier snack movement, by asking other moms to take a stand towards healthier snacking at local school, church, and sports team events by becoming, "Snacktivists". Snacktivists moms are empowered to tell their kids coaches, and camp directors about their concerns with snacks ...

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Corner Stores Implement New Food Standards in Minneapolis



According to a local news article, by this summer local convenient stores and large chain stores who sell food in the city of Minneapolis must offer healthier fresh food options. Most corner stores throughout the nation offer junk foods, that are usually high in sodium, added sugars and low in nutritious benefit- an unhealthy food environment for Latinos- who are currently reported to have the highest rates of obesity in the city (31.7% of Latino Adults Obese) and the overall nation. This new law is the first of it's kind in the nation, hoping to help combat diabetes, obesity, and other diet-related health risks by offering more convenient access and healthier foods throughout the city's corner stores and convenience stores. The law asks businesses to stock protein items, milk, ...

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Resource about Food Marketing to Children: Digital Module



To help increase awareness of unhealthy food and beverage marketing and inspire collective action to make positive changes in communities, schools and other places that children gather, the UConn Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity created a set of presentations as a resource for advocates to spread the word about unhealthy food and beverage marketing in their communities.  The presentations are suited for a wide-range of audiences including health department outreach events, parent gatherings, school PTO meetings or school wellness committee, faith and youth groups, and food policy councils. Among these resources is a downloadable presentation on "Food Marketing to Youth: What's the Harm?", which explains the importance of eating healthy foods, the truth about how millions of ...

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MN school district ditches deep-fat fryers



The south is a place well-known for deep fried foods, but now Natchez-Adams school district cafeterias in Miss. are ditching the deep fryers. The districts are working to have healthier options in their schools and increase physical activity breaks among the district, by replacing fryers with steamers, learning new ways to cook healthy foods, and opting to have more fitness breaks outside for students. The district's Public Relations Coordinator, Steven Richardson, said in a local news story that the schools are working on highlighting healthy living amongst students. The child nutrition supervisor, Shantoura Spears, also explained that the funding for the fryers has been paid through grants the school has been receiving and have helped the schools replace them with healthier ...

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New Study: Pregnant mothers who eat junk food, may increase future child’s addiction to unhealthy foods



According to a recent study from the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB), the brains of unborn children may become addicted to junk foods if the mother eats junk foods during pregnancy. Eating healthy has always been a good practice for moms-to-be, but according to new research, unborn children's brains are impacted by opioid signaling when mothers consume junk foods. The negative impact is that children who become accustomed to these addicting high fats and sugar signals from the mother's consumption of unhealthy foods, need to eat more high fat and sugar foods to achieve a "feel good" response. Researchers examined two groups of baby rats, one group fed on normal rat food and the other on a range of "junk foods" during pregnancy and lactation. ...

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Lunch lady gets students to try new healthy food options



Want to get your kids to eat vegetables? A lunch lady from New York has cracked the code on how to get picky eaters to eat healthier foods like kale and beans. Donna Riviello, the food service director at Clyde-Savannah Central School District has helped kids try unfamiliar vegetables in school lunches like kale, sweet potatoes, and legumes. Working with marketing tactics and taste testing trials in the schools lunch room, she has kids try out new vegetables and even has them pair it with other favorites. A recent article states that some studies have shown it takes as many as twenty times for a kid to like new foods, and Riviello stated it usually takes students five to seven times to make up their minds about the new vegetables, saying that "There's a psychology to ...

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