'Salud America!' Receives $1.3 Million to Promote Healthy Changes for Latino Children Struggling With Obesity

• comments
• 
• 

Salud America! received a huge amount to initiate changes in developing healthy Latino kids.

Salud America! is dedicated to reduce the rate of obesity among Latino children. In their website,  they achieve their advocacy by producing research and research-based educational and motivational content to grow changes to reduce Latino childhood obesity.

According to their report, over 39 percent of Latino children with ages between 2 and 19 are overweight or obese, compared to 32 percent of all U.S. children.

The high rate of Latino childhood obesity poses the children from a higher risk of developing chronic diseases; this is quite alarming especially that Latino children comprises 22 percent of the overall population of the U.S. youth. They are the largest, youngest and fastest growing minority in the country.

Latinos Health previously reported that among the reasons Latino children are obese compared to other children is their lack of active space. Many believe that, when these children are given access to parks, playgrounds or active spaces, they will become more physically active and will be able to maintain a healthy weight. Moreover, Latino children have limited access to healthy food and drinks.

Well, providing active spaces to children and helping them access healthy food might be possible now.

SaludToday reported that Salud America! received $1.3 million grant from Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The funds are provided "to develop new, culturally tailored educational content that empowers people to work toward policy changes for the health of Latino children."

"We are excited by RWJF's support, which will help us continue to push the boundaries of communication to empower Latinos to develop healthy changes in their schools and communities," said Amelie G. Ramirez, DrPH, director of Salud America!, headquartered at the Institute for Health Promotion Research at The UT Health Science Center at San Antonio.

The organization, Salud America!, was established in 2007. They recruited a national online network of 50,000 parents, school personnel, health professionals, and community leaders to support their mission. It aims to "End Latino childhood obesity by communicating good health and driving people to start and assist healthy changes in their schools and communities."

The new funds will help the team expand its network and engage their members with enhanced educational content, including multimedia role model stories, social media events, online resources, geo-located healthy policy changes, digital action campaigns and tailored marketing.

Will Salud America! include the construction of more active spaces to keep Latino children more active in their upcoming projects? What do you thinks are the other activities or projects that the team should work on to reduce obesity among Latino children? Share your thoughts below.