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The obesity epidemic poses a growing burden across the U.S., and low-income Latinos lacking insurance coverage are especially hard hit by the cost and disabilities from obesity-related type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.
Latino communities are fighting back by improving opportunities for healthy eating and physical activity.
The second Web Forum in the series Weight of the Latino Nation, set for 1 p.m. CST Thursday, Aug. 29, 2013, will highlight the latest research on the obesity epidemic and the factors impacting Latino communities.
Presenters include Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, director of Salud America! and the Institute for Health Promotion Research at the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, the team behind SaludToday. Salud America! recently released several research packages focused on topics around Latino childhood obesity, including healthier marketing and better food in the neighborhood.
Andre Quintero, mayor of El Monte, Calif., which is trying to institute a penny-per-ounce-sold tax on soda, is another speaker.
Presenters will discuss challenges to addressing the epidemic, and the program and policy actions being undertaken—or still needed—to tackle it.
The forum is sponsored by The California Endowment, Latino Coalition for a Healthy California, and the Public Health Institute.
Explore More:
Maternal & Child HealthBy The Numbers
20.7
percent
of Latino kids have obesity (compared to 11.7% of white kids)
