A new report on the recent 2nd Annual SALSI Research Forum: Latino Obesity highlights innovative strategies and programs to reduce obesity among San Antonio and South Texas Latinos. Nearly 75% of Latinos were overweight or obese in Texas as of 2009. That’s why Latino obesity-focused research and programs are so vital. “The researchers and leaders present at the forum are working at ‘ground zero’ of the Latino obesity epidemic in Texas,” said Dr. Amelie Ramirez, director of the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at The UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, which coordinated the forum with UT San Antonio. “It’s important to highlight these efforts to better understand what works to encourage Latinos’ healthier lifestyles.” The forum on May 10, ...
The Social and Health Research Center in San Antonio has received a $2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to use cameras and innovative computer software to estimate children’s dietary intake. The proposed instrument is the Digital Food Imaging Analysis technique (DFIA). The DFIA will program cameras and develop software to interface with the USDA nutrition database for nutrient analysis, in hopes of providing the most comprehensive and quantitative estimation of children’s food consumption and nutrient analysis. The system would photograph kids' meal trays before and after they ate. The computer system would analyze the photos to calculate exact calories eaten and values of more than 100 other nutrients. Parents will receive the data for their ...
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 ...
The "Garden Angel" program at Oak Meadow Elementary School in San Antonio, supported by parent and grandparent volunteers, promotes nutritious eating and reinforces the school's commitment to health as a member of the Alliance for a Healthier Generation’s Healthy Schools Program. Students take part in planting, caring for and harvesting vegetables throughout the year. Students are encouraged to experiment with new tastes and try new vegetables. “Children learn early on that taking an active role in a garden can be rewarding," said Lori Chapa, outdoor classroom coordinator at the school. "They take pride in the garden they have cared for and are excited to eat what they have grown. We hope this practice will promote healthier eating habits and lifestyles today and for years ...
Instead of throwing up their hands in frustration over the growing diabetes epidemic among Hispanics in San Antonio, Humana and the Mexican American Unity Council are joining forces to combat the problem, KENS-TV reports. Not doctors and nurses, but senior citizens are the newest soldiers on the front line of the battle against the disease. Read more here, or watch ...
Check out the latest in health disparities—from San Antonio's push to curb Latino childhood obesity to all aspects of the Latino population boom—in the latest E-newsletter from the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. View the IHPR E-newsletter to see: Story: “BFF” Helps Latina Girl Scouts Get Physically Active (Pg 1)
Story: Targeting Moms, Daughters to Encourage Use of HPV Vaccine on Border (Pg 3)
Story and Video: Latest in Latino Cancer Survivorship (Pg 5)
Story: San Antonio’s Big Push to Thwart Latino Child Obesity (Pg 6)
Story: Latino Population Boom: What Does it Mean? (Pg 7) Find much more on local and national health disparities-related news, funding, resources and events by ...
¡Por Vida!, launched in October 2010, is a San Antonio restaurant recognition program that aims to help adults and children make healthier food choices by identifying menu items that meet certain nutritional guidelines. ¡Por Vida! restaurants must offer menu items that fit certain standards on: Calories
Total Fat
Saturated Fat
Trans-fat
Sodium
No Fried Food Nine restaurants participate in the program, including McDonald's, Pico de Gallo, and more. The local Egg & I restaurants are the latest to join the program, the San Antonio Business Journal reports. The restaurant chain hase a new “Smarter Choice” kid’s menu for its five local stores and 43 stores nationwide. ¡Por Vida! plans to continue getting more restaurants on board, and aim to work with ...
By raising his voice and inspiring his peers to live healthier lives, 13-year-old Jacob Vasquez of San Antonio, Texas, is leading the fight against childhood obesity. On April 16, 2011, Jacob, one of 25 youths selected to serve on the Youth Advisory Board for the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, will partner with the Health Collaborative’s Fun Family Community Garden Event to encourage kids to take a more active role in their health. At the event, students will be able to partake in a program, GROW (Growing Real Organic Winners), from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Health Collaborative (1002 N. Flores Street) to examine the relationship between gardening and a healthy lifestyle. The first 25 students will get a gardening kit and will be encouraged to start a garden at home, ...
For girls growing up on the San Antonio’s West Side, exercise may not be a walk in the park. They encounter stray dogs and face traffic without sidewalks. Public places like basketball courts are often in use by boys, leaving girls reluctant to seek a turn. And parents, fearing crime or unwanted attention, may not let girls roam unsupervised. That’s why researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio are testing a new program to increase girls’ opportunities to become more physically active. The program, “Be Fit with Friends,” gives girls many options – from basic fitness equipment like jump ropes to volunteer opportunities to online social media, fitness video games on the Wii and Kinect and text messaging – to help overcome barriers to ...
