Latino Kids Are More Obese Than Their Peers for This Insidious Reason Liz Dwyer - TakePart
go to original November 25, 2016

Structured school- and community-based programs that are culturally relevant have demonstrated some success in increasing physical activity among Latino children. (Salud America!)

A common complaint about modern kids is that they spend too much time indoors watching television or racking up points on the latest video game - all while noshing on a bag of chips or some other unhealthy junk food. The commonsense alternative to all this screen time, health advocates say, is to send youngsters outside where they can run, jump, and swing from the monkey bars.

A new report from childhood obesity prevention organization Salud America! reveals that following that advice may be especially difficult for Latino kids living in segregated, underserved neighborhoods.

The nonprofit organization, which is based at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, analyzed federal data as well as several studies and surveys on race, ethnicity, and access to public recreational space. It found that 81 percent of predominantly Latino neighborhoods lack access to active spaces such as parks and recreation facilities. In comparison, the proportion of predominantly non-Hispanic white neighborhoods with limited physical activity options is less than half that: 38 percent.

The researchers also noted that recent U.S. census data found that nearly 83 percent of white people say their neighborhoods have safe places for kids to play. In comparison, 70 percent of Latino people feel the same way about their neighborhoods.

While childhood obesity is a problem nationally, a post on the Salud America! blog notes that the lack of access to parks and concerns about safety contribute to Latino kids being more overweight or obese than their white peers. Nearly 40 percent of Latino children are overweight or obese, while just under 30 percent of white children are too heavy. It probably doesn’t help that Latino kids are also more likely to live in poverty and in food deserts.

“Latino kids don’t get enough exercise, so it’s critical to make parks, school playgrounds, and other recreational sites safer and more accessible to help Latino kids be active and fight obesity,” Amelie G. Ramirez, the director of Salud America! and the Institute for Health Promotion Research at the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, said in a statement posted on the organization's blog.

To create more space for kids, Salud America! recommends that communities boost the amount of green space and implement safe-space initiatives. An expansion of shared-use agreements - formal contracts that allow residents access to a school or other public property - can also help.

Read the rest at TakePart

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