The time kids spend in front of a screen for entertainment has increased by an hour and 17 minutes since 2004, research shows. Check out this new infographic about the surprising amounts of TV, video game, computer and other entertainment screen time that children are getting, and the opportunities for physical activity that they are missing out on. The infographic, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, also provides tips for healthier activities and ways parents can limit screen time in the home. Find the infographic here. For more information, visit ...
Liver cancer rates among South Texas Latinos are higher than in other U.S. Latinos, as are their rates of obesity and diabetes—and the relationships between these ailments are being mapped by researchers at the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at The UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, the team behind SaludToday. In a study published April 18, 2012, in the journal PLoS ONE, the researchers looked at overall liver cancer rates among U.S. Latinos and compared this to a Texas sample and a South Texas subset from 1995-2006. They also compared prevalence among Latinos of lifestyle-associated factors that contribute to liver cancer: heavy alcohol use, smoking, obesity and diabetes. They found that from 1995 to 2006, annual age-adjusted liver cancer incidence ...
Nearly a third of U.S. kids and adolescents are overweight or obese, especially minority groups, including Latinos. Many are urged to get more exercise but can’t follow this advice very easily where they live. Schools, for instance, have many recreational facilities—gyms, soccer fields, tracks, basketball courts, playgrounds, even swimming pools—but they keep them closed after hours due to security, liability and maintenance concerns. But communities around the country are resolving these issues through what’s known as a joint use agreement: a written contract between a school district and, usually, a city agency, spelling out a formal arrangement that lets the two share the costs and maintenance and liability responsibilities. Playing Smart is a new nuts-and-bolts ...
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently released the report on selected nutrient intake and chronic health conditions among Mexican-American adults. The report, Trends in Nutrient Intakes and Chronic Health Conditions Among Mexican-American Adults, a 25-year Profile: United States, 1982–2006, in this time span, the percent kilocalories from total fat, saturated fat, and protein intake among Mexican-American adults decreased, while carbohydrate and mean total energy intake increased. During this same time period, the prevalence of obesity and diabetes among Mexican-American adults increased and the prevalence of high blood pressure remained stable. The overall prevalence of high total serum cholesterol among this group did not differ significantly from ...
Laura Esparza used to be an “exercise avoider.” She steered clear of physical activities that resembled the P.E. classes of her youth, and had little confidence to work out or try playing any sports. That changed when Esparza, a parent of three children and community volunteer in San Antonio, Texas, grew increasingly concerned with rising local obesity levels and learned that daily physical activity is an essential element of everyone’s physical and mental health. Now she exercises regularly and is an avid “exercise promoter” at the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at The UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, where she researches ways to increase Latino families’ physical activity. “Spurred by my own experience, I became interested in ...
Adult obesity rates were higher than 15% in all but three of 190 metropolitan areas surveyed in 2011, according to a Gallup and Healthways report. McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, Texas, residents—who are predominantly Latino—were the most likely to be obese, at 38.8%. Nationwide, 26.1% of American adults were obese in 2011. The Gallup report indicates that the McAllen-Edinburg-Mission metro area pays more than $400 million in unnecessary healthcare costs each year because of its high obesity rate. "If it reduced the obesity rate to 15%," according to the report, "the area could potentially save more than $250 million ...
Youth who are overweight or obese—especially Hispanics—are more likely to have asthma than their healthy weight counterparts, according to a new Kaiser Permanente Southern California study published in the online edition of Obesity. The study, which included more than 681,000 children between ages 6 and 19, found that the association between asthma and body mass index (BMI) varied by race and ethnicity. The association between BMI and asthma was strongest among Hispanic youth and weaker for African Americans, a group that was previously known to have the highest prevalence of asthma. “This research contributes to the growing evidence that there is a relationship between childhood obesity and asthma, and suggests that factors related to race and ethnicity, particularly for ...
Síclovía is a San Antonio, Texas, event to get people and families involved and active! From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 2, 2011, Síclovía will open up 2-plus miles along Broadway for biking, running, skating, and just playing in the street and adjacent parks, while redirecting cars elsewhere. A joint venture by the City of San Antonio and the YMCA, Síclovía is a Communities Putting Prevention to Work initiative to prevent and reduce obesity in our community. Find out more here. To volunteer, send your contact info ...
Editor’s Note: This post is part of an ongoing series that will highlight the work the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation supports in Latino communities across the country. SaludTodayGuest Blogger: John Govea Childhood obesity and child hunger both plague the U.S. Latino community. Today, nearly 40% of our nation’s Latino children are overweight or obese. Latino children also account for about 40% of the one million children in this country who are living with hunger. Through its video project, Comer bien: The Challenges of Nourishing Latino Children and Families, the National Council of La Raza (NCLR) sheds light on these problems and the need for far-reaching solutions to help families and children eat well. Funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the project features ...
