Network for a Healthy California is a state program designed to teach low-income Californians about the importance of proper diet and adequate physical activity. In a Bay Citizen article on one of the program's recent events, during which shoppers at a Latino grocery store in Hayward were offered material and demonstrations on healthy eating, writer Katharine Mieszkowski describes why the work in this community is so important:
...Latinos, who are the fastest-growing ethnic group in California, suffer from disproportionately high rates of obesity and related health issues, such as diabetes.
More than 10 percent of Hispanic adults in the United States having been diagnosed with diabetes, according to the National Institutes of Health. Mexican-Americans and Puerto Ricans have the highest rates of the disease. Type 2 diabetes, which accounts for the vast majority of cases, can be prevented or managed with improved diet and exercise.
By holding free classes in supermarkets like Mi Pueblo, which is located in a working-class neighborhood where many first- and second-generation immigrant Latino families live, health educators hope they can help shoppers choose healthy foods on a budget and prepare them in a way that their families will like.
Previously: Seniors help build a blueprint for a healthier city, Community dynamics play an essential role in fighting obesity and Poll finds majority of Californians’ support policies to promote healthy eating, fitness among children
Via @KQEDscience
Photo by mjb84
