Healthy Weight Initiative

Reports and Info Summer 2011

2011-08-09T13:21:00.000-07:00

New Obesity Prevention Policies for Young Children

This June the Institute of Medicine (IOM) just released new policies for preventing obesity in young children 0-5 years. The report reviewed multiple factors and has recommended actions for caregivers, health care providers, and policy makers. See the below link for more details and access to the report.

http://www.iom.edu/Reports/2011/Early-Childhood-Obesity-Prevention-Policies.aspx

F as in Fat 2011

Trust for America's Health released their yearly report in July 2011 "F as in Fat" which is a detailed report that ranks obesity rates by state as well as compares obesity rates over time. Included on this site is a state by state map. There is also a map that includes childhood obesity rates by state as well. Please see the below link to the full report.

http://www.healthyamericans.org/report/88/

Truck Farm Comes to Boston

For folks in the Boston area, please see the below article about the Boston Truck Farm, a traveling farm (literally in the back of a truck!) that showcases agriculture in urban settings and is looking for interested organizations who might be interested in having the Truck Farm stop by!

http://www.examiner.com/sustainable-agriculture-in-boston/truck-farm-moves-to-boston

Boston's Ban on Sweetened Beverages in Schools is Working!

In today's Boston Globe, the findings of a RWJF study are that the 7 year old ban has had a positive impact on the consumption of sweetened beverages by Boston high school students.

http://www.boston.com/Boston/dailydose/2011/08/boston-high-school-students-drinking-fewer-sugary-drinks/z6LV7repTt76hef1QOmI2I/index.html?comments=all

Anti-Obesity Ads plus Food Advertising to Kids

2011-05-03T06:29:00.000-07:00

The state of Georgia has released new ads to bring attention to the issue of childhood obesity in that state. The ads have some worried about increased stigma to overweight or obese kids. The below article came out yesterday and discusses the balance between wanting to address childhood obesity while working to help kids maintain and create healthy self esteem.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/02/georgia-child-obesity-ads_n_856255.html

The federal government issued new voluntary guidelines to food companies last week to limit their advertising to children if they contain certain amounts of unhealthy ingredients. To date any advertising guidelines have been self regulated by the food industry and although food companies have reduced TV advertising to kids in the face of public pressure, they have moved much of that advertising to other forms of media like the Internet and social media. The below article details the guidelines as well as when they hope to be in effect.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/28/marketing-junk-food-kids_n_854949.html

I have also included a blog that came out last week discussing how food advertising is moving beyond TV and what level of responsibility the food industry has and how best to move those companies in a direction that helps parents support their kids' healthy eating.

http://www.theatlantic.com/life/archive/2011/04/the-era-of-ads-food-marketing-to-kids-goes-viral/237727/

Studies on Supermarkets in MA and Physical Activity

2011-03-17T06:51:00.000-07:00

The public health advocacy group the Food Trust has conducted a study on supermarkets and has found that MA has a shortage of grocery stores and in fact ranks third from the bottom nationally. The study outlines the communities hardest hit. Please see the below link to the report and a CBS report and Boston Globe piece on the study. I have also included a link to the Food Trust in case you would like more information on that organization.

http://www.mphaweb.org/documents/FoodforEveryChild_Massachusetts.pdf

http://boston.cbslocal.com/2011/03/07/study-theres-a-supermarket-shortage-in-mass/

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2011/03/07/shortage_of_grocers_plagues_mass_cities/?p1=News_links

http://www.thefoodtrust.org/

In addition, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention just released a nationwide study on physical activity. The study covers children and adults and includes data on physical activity levels, children's access to play space as well as a host of other indicators that pertain to physical activity. I have included a link to the actual report as well as a link to the CDC that has more information. State by state results and national averages are found on pages 14-15 in the report.
http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/downloads/PA_State_Indicator_Report_2010.pdf

http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/

Obesity Update: the latest

2010-12-03T07:10:00.000-08:00

Michelle Obama is working to get 6000 salad bars in schools across the country within 3 years. Currently only about 15% of schools have salad bars and obtaining the necessary equipment to have a salad bar is an investment of about $2500, and that is before buying the produce to stock it. The United Fresh Produce Association will be donating salad bars across the country as part of the First Lady's Let's Move Salad Bars to Schools Initiative. Please see the below article for additional details.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/22/michelle-obama-6000-salad-bars-for-schools_n_787009.html

Please see the below article featuring an interview with the author of the book Bring Back the Family Dinner, by Laurie David. We know how important it is from a health perspective for families to eat together and this book includes tips and ideas about getting the most out of the family meal, further supporting that how we eat is as important as what we eat.

http://www.grist.org/article/2010-11-15-bring-back-the-family-dinner-says-laurie-david

On December 2 Congress passed the Child Nutrition Bill, which works to address both hunger and childhood obesity. The bill would make it possible for more children to eat breakfast and dinner at school. In addition, it will be cutting greasy food in lunch lines and junk food in vending machines. See the below article for details on the nutrition guidelines and additional information on the bill.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/02/child-nutrition-congress-_n_791275.html

Chocolate Milk in Schools

2010-09-03T08:06:00.000-07:00

The National Dairy Council begins a formal campaign to keep chocolate milk in schools around the country entitled Raise your Hand for Chocolate Milk. This is in response as many schools consider or enact a ban on chocolate milk and other flavored milks claiming it is adding to the obesity epidemic, as it contains more calories and sugar than non-flavored milk. The Dairy Council's campaign makes the case for the nutritional value of milk and the concern that kids who don't like non-flavored milk won't drink white milk and thus miss out on valuable nutrients. Please see the links below to articles discussing this issue from the Huffington Post, New York Times, the Chicago Tribune, and the National Dairy Council"s Raise your Hand for Chocolate Milk campaign's website.

The Great Chocolate Milk Debate
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jeanne-ponessa-fratello/the-great-chocolate-milk-_b_698950.html

A School Fight Over Chocolate Milk
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/25/dining/25Milk.html?scp=1&sq=chocolate milk&st=cse

Raise Your Hand for Milk
http://www.raiseyourhand4milk.com/

Crying Over Spilt Chocolate Milk
http://www.chicagotribune.com/topic/sns-health-chocolate-milk-debate,0,733950.story

Governor Patrick signs bill to improve school lunches

2010-08-02T13:18:00.000-07:00

Please see the below link to the Boston Globe article that outlines the bill the Governor signed 7/31/2010. It bans fryolaters in schools as well as calls for fresh fruits and non-fried vegetables to be sold. This bill was first filed in 1999.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2010/07/31/governor_signs_bill_to_improve_nutrition_for_schoolchildren/

Proposed Federal Guidelines on Junk Food Marketing to Kids

2010-06-02T07:11:00.000-07:00

Proposed federal guidelines came out that would be the strictest ever proposed to regulate the marketing of junk foods to kids. Included in the proposed guidelines are not only limitations on what can't be in food that's marketed to kids, but also what ingredients need to be in marketed food; percentage of whole grains, certain amounts of fruit and vegetables, etc. click here for the article

On another note, I wanted to share some news Healthworks gym has received. Codman Square Health Center refers many Healthy Weight Clinic patients and their moms to the Healthworks Gym, a non-profit exercise facility down the street from the Health Center. The Healthworks Gym was featured on NPR and in an article June 17, 2010. Please take a minute to find out about this valuable community resource.

White House Task Force gives report to the President

2010-05-13T17:48:00.000-07:00

On May 12, the White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity issued a report to the President with recommendations on how to solve the problem of childhood obesity within a generation. The report includes action plans and measurable milestones. It includes an outline of the problem and addresses various disparities, environmental factors, and other components that exacerbate the issue as well as how to address them with specific benchmarks. Please see link below to access the report directly.

http://letsmove.gov/taskforce_childhoodobesityrpt.html

Legislation Passes Ban on Junk Food in MA Schools

2010-03-12T08:45:00.000-08:00

Legislation passes ban on junk food in schools! See below for details from wbur!

The momentum around the issue of pediatric obesity continues to grow. We look forward to seeing the direct impact such a ban will have on HWC patients as parents and kids get some much needed support to help make healthy choices outside the home.

http://www.wbur.org/2010/03/11/senate-nutrition

First Lady Announces Let's Move Initiative

2010-02-09T11:34:00.001-08:00

Today Mrs. Obama announced her plan to combat pediatric obesity. The President mentioned the First Lady would be focusing on this issue during the State of the Union Address January 27. The Initiative is Let's Move (http://www.letsmove.gov/) The website contains resources on everything from helping folks access healthy foods in their own communities, tips for helping schools get healthy, and ways parents can help families get more active. Parents and/or clinic staff can sign up for email alerts via the Let's Move website to stay up to date on resources and activities related to the Initiative.

See Mrs. Obama as she discussed the Initiative on Good Morning America this morning. http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Health/michelle-obama-childhood-obesity-initiative/story?id=9781473

Additionally, the Surgeon General released a report on January 28, 2010 (see below link) entitled The Surgeon General's Vision for a Healthy and Fit Nation. Included is a section on page 10 on Mobilizing the Medical Community outlining ways in which clinicians can support patients as they make strides in getting healthy.

The Surgeon General's Vision for a Fit and Healthy Nation http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/obesityvision/index.html

USA Today article on the First Lady's commitment to Pediatric Obesityhttp://www.usatoday.com/news/health/weightloss/2010-02-09-1Afirstlady09_CV_N.htm?csp=34&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+UsatodaycomHealth-TopStories+(News+-+Health+-+Top+Stories)

Healthy Holiday Season

2009-12-16T08:26:00.001-08:00

The holidays can be such a challenging time to try and stay on a healthy eating and living plan. I have included some links that have tips that might be helpful to participating families in the Healthy Weight Clinic.

The California Pacific Medical Center offers ten tips to avoid overeating and weight gain over the holidays, as well as a breakdown of specific foods and how to handle them such as gravies and dressings.
http://www.cpmc.org/about/e-health/11-05%20healthy-holidays.html

Alliance for a Healthier Generation has some advice on caring for ourselves in this busy season, from healthy eating tips to tips on getting enough rest.
http://www.healthiergeneration.org/parents.aspx?id=4181

The Mayo Clinic site offers many healthy recipes for all courses of holiday meals.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/holiday-recipes/NU00645

I hope these resources are helpful as you support your patients during this busy holiday season!

Unhealthiest Cereals Marketed to Children

2009-12-01T07:53:00.000-08:00

Steering kids towards healthy eating is challenging in the best case scenario. A study from Yale recently identified one reason for this uphill battle. Cereal companies advertise their most unhealthy products to children ages 2 and up. Kid cereals have more sugar, more sodium, and less fiber than cereals marketed to adults. Please see the below articles that lay out the details of the study. Also included is an article that outlines what tactics companies use to target kids and concrete tips on how parents can combat advertising within their own home.

Cereal Companies Market Least Healthy Products to Children and Teens:

http://www.cbc.ca/consumer/story/2009/10/27/consumer-unhealthy-kids-cereals-yale.html

http://kidshealth.org/research/kids_marketing.html

Update in School Lunches and News Alert from the Center for Health and Health Care in Schools

2009-10-16T09:12:00.000-07:00

We all know kids face an uphill battle when having to find healthy options at school and the corner store. Please see the below article on how a dietitian and students in LA improved school lunches as well as a CDC press release on school lunches. The Center for Health and Health Care in Schools looks at corner store purchases and how many calories kids are getting per dollar.

Kids excited by healthy lunch options and how they went about it:
School Lunches get Leafy in Los Angeles
http://www.wbur.org/news/npr/18948805

CDC press release on changes in what's for sale at school:
Fewer U.S. Schools Selling Less Nutritious Food and Beverages
http://www.cdc.gov/media/pressrel/2009/r091005.htm?s_cid=mediarel_r091005

Center for Health and Health Care in Schools Disseminate the following News Alert and aaaar– October 13, 2009
Purchases Made by Students in Corner Stores Near Urban Schools Contribute to Frequent Intake of High-Calorie, Low-Nutrition Foods:
"Purchases made in corner stores contribute significantly to energy intake among urban school children and may contribute to childhood obesity in minority and low-income communities, according to a study published in Pediatrics on October 12, 2009. Researchers surveyed more than 800 students in grades 4 through 6 from 10 schools who made purchases from 24 corner stores in Philadelphia, PA. More than half (53.3%) of the participants reported shopping at corners stores every day, and another 21.9% reported shopping 2 to 4 times per week."

The Center for Health and Health Care in Schools
202-466-3396
http://www.healthinschools.org/

Motivational Interviewing

2009-09-23T10:59:00.001-07:00

At the live meeting November 4 we will be continuing our work in Motivational Interviewing. Please continue to record visits with patients with your digital voice recorders. Those of you who do not have a voice recorder will be receiving one at your health center for this purpose. We will be listening to patient visits in groups as we did at April's live meeting. It was so valuable to listen together to increase efficacy and share best practices in MI. The new article attached in your email by William Miller and Gary Rose shares recent research in Motivational Interviewing including how MI affects change talk and how that impacts behavior change. It also compares outcomes with interventions with or without MI.

I have also included a link below that helps identify stages of change. Included in this link are sample scripts to help MI practitioners at all stages of change, including pre-contemplation, to help patients move forward with behavior changes they want.

http://www.cellinteractive.com/ucla/physcian_ed/stages_change.html

Family Fun Day was a Blast!

2009-08-31T10:50:00.001-07:00

Although it was raining, that didn't dampen the spirits of the participants at CAVU Family Fun Day this past Saturday. Over 70 people including Healthy Weight Clinic patients, their family members, clinic staff, and peer leaders from Greater Lawrence Family Health Center, Holyoke Health Center, and Whittier Street Health Center were in attendance. The day was a hit with programs being run inside as well as outside. Archery went on despite the rain- the archery instructors and participants were troopers but the rain only seemed to add to the experience! In addition, folks were able to go to the Nature Center to see moose bones and bugs, play adventure games with WingSpeed, try their hand at boxing, plant seeds, and milk Milky, the milkable wooden cow!

After everyone had lunch and more fun time, kids from each clinic were recognized for their commitment to healthy living. It was great to honor all the kids and their families for the hard work that goes into making healthy choices. Awards were also given for the day's activities. Ask Kathy the nutritionist from Holyoke; she received one for her adventure leadership skills! The raffle items were a big hit with participants taking home a signed football from a New England Patriots linebacker, a mini-helmet signed by an NFL Quarterback, a fitness goodie bag, and a gift certificate from Hannaford Supermarket. Thank you so much to clinic staff who worked so hard to get folks to the event. Folks left damp but happy!

CDC Recommendations and Study on School Environment

2009-08-07T06:07:00.000-07:00

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has just released recommendations strategies for obesity prevention. Attached below are links that outline strategies and best practices to accomplish these goals as well as recommendations for changes on the policy level. Both documents are available for download.

CDC’s Recommended Strategies for Obesity Prevention:

1. Increase availability of healthier food and beverage choices in public service venues

2. Improve availability of affordable healthier food and beverage choices in public service venues

3. Improve geographic availability of supermarkets in under served areas

4. Provide incentives to food retailers to locate in and/or offer healthier food and beverage choices in under served areas

5. Improve availability of mechanisms for purchasing foods from farms

6. Provide incentives for the production, distribution, and procurement of foods from local farms

7. Restrict availability of less healthy foods and beverages in public service venues

8. Institute smaller portion size options in public service venues

9. Limit advertisements of less healthy foods and beverages

10. Discourage consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages

11. Increase support for breastfeeding

12. Require physical education in schools

13. Increase the amount of physical activity in physical education programs in schools

14. Increase opportunities for extracurricular physical activity

15. Reduce screen time in public service venues

16. Improve access to outdoor recreational facilities

17. Enhance infrastructure supporting bicycling

18. Enhance infrastructure supporting walking

19. Support locating schools within easy walking distance of residential areas

20. Improve access to public transportation

21. Zone for mixed-use development

22. Enhance personal safety in areas where persons are or could be physically active

23. Enhance traffic safety in areas where persons are or could be physically active

24. Participate in community coalitions or partnerships to address obesity

CDC is pleased to release the first set of comprehensive recommendations
to promote healthy eating and active living and reduce the prevalence of
obesity in the United States. The report contains 24 recommended
obesity prevention strategies focusing on environmental and policy level
change initiatives that can be implemented by local governments and
school districts. The MMWR report, Recommended Community Strategies and
Measurements to Prevent Obesity in the United States, is available at:

http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5807a1.htm

To assist local governments, states, and policy makers implement the CDC
recommended obesity prevention strategies and report on the associated
measurements a detailed Implementation and Measurement Guide was
developed. The guide includes measurement data protocols, a listing of
useful resources, and examples of communities that successfully
implemented each obesity prevention strategy. The Implementation and
Measurement Guide is available at:

http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/downloads/community_strategies_guide.pdf

On the other end of the spectrum, according to a Center for Health and Health Care in Schools
News Alert -- July 29, 2009, many schools fail to provide a healthy school environment. Please see the below study.

Study of School District Wellness Policies Shows Many Fail to Provide A Healthy School Environment:

In school years 2006-2007 and 2007-2008, many school wellness policies were underdeveloped and fragmented, lacking sufficient plans for implementation and monitoring, according to a report released by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Bridging the Gap program.

CAVU Family Fun Day

2009-07-15T06:57:00.000-07:00

We are so excited to be hosting an event to celebrate the achievements of both the patients in the Healthy Weight Clinic as well as those helping them to achieve their goals: clinic staff! CAVU Family Fun Day is going to be held at a Girl Scout camp property in Waltham. The day's program is going to be varied and fun. To make the most of the camp environment, many activities will be centered around the out of doors. Some activities will be drop in and ongoing throughout the day. A nature scavenger hunt, and outdoor games are great activities families can take as much time with as they would like. Folks will be able to drop in and plant seeds to take home so families can watch them grow. In addition, there will be a series of hour long programs that kids and their families will be able to choose from. Activities we are currently pursuing are archery, cooking class, dance, field day events and boxing! Activities will be an hour long and will be ongoing throughout the day so everyone will have an opportunity to participate. Lunch will be served as well as healthy snacks.

Please begin to think of patients your clinic would like to honor for the commitment they have made to healthy living so they can be honored during the ceremony.

We will be discussing the transportation on the collaborative call next week so we can get a sense of how many buses we might need and the location of pick-up points.

Interactive Website to Help Patients and Families Plan for Success

2009-06-25T07:39:00.000-07:00

We are constantly on the lookout for resources that can help patients and their families reach their goals. The website Calorie Counter Database: Free Online Diet Program (http://caloriecount.about.com/) has a lot of features which could be helpful to Healthy Weight Clinic patients and their families. Additionally, members of the Healthy Weight teams might find other tools on the site to be helpful in their interactions with patients.

Users can create an account and then develop personalized plans for their caloric intake as well as utilizing tools like journals and exercise guides. Patients should use this in concert with their physician and other providers at the Healthy Weight Clinic to ensure consistency. The web site is broken down into topics including Food, Exercise, and Tools. Under Foods, there are not only healthy recipes but also a recipe analyzer where one can type in a favorite recipe and get an analysis of its nutritional value. There are also coupons for a variety of products and in addition users can enter their zip code for local coupons.

Under Exercise, specific activities that breaks how many calories are burned during different activities . The activities run the spectrum from traditional exercise such as running to other daily activities like playing a musical instrument or house cleaning to show users how many calories they are already burning in their current lifestyle, and how they could increase their physical activity.

The Tools section has features that tell folks roughly how many calories they are burning daily and how many calories they would need in order to maintain their weight, lose weight, etc. This seems especially beneficial as parents are typically trying to change their habits to support the child in the Healthy Weight Clinic.These features and others on the site could be a great resource for patients as they are looking to make all aspects of their lives healthier and would support the work done in clinic. Families might really find it helpful to have access to some of the tools and knowledge at this site, so please share it with them as you see fit.

Healthy Recipes

2009-06-03T07:08:00.001-07:00

One of the things people find most difficult when starting to eat healthy is feeling as though one's favorite foods are no longer an option. Kathy the nutritionist from Holyoke Health Center has compiled some favorite recipes from Puerto Rico with a healthy twist!

Please see below recipes:

Sofrito

1 cup Italian pepper or green bell pepper. seeded and diced

1/4 cup sweet chili or Italian or green bell pepper, seeded and diced

1 cup diced onion

3 garlic cloves, cut in half

1/4 cup cilantro leaves, cut in pieces

1/2 cup recao or cilantro leaves, cut in pieces

Combine the pepper, sweet chili, onion, garlic, cilantro and recao in a food processor or blender. If using a blender, you will need to add a small amount of water to mix the ingredients.

MAKES 2 CUPS

Nutritional Information: 1 cup. 62 calories. 0% calories from fat. 14 grams from carbohydrate. 0 grams of fat. 2 grams of protein.

Note: Sofrito can be made in large quantities and frozen until needed.

Sofrito

1 taza de pimiento italiano o verde sin semillas, cortado en pedazos

1/4 taza de ají dulce o pimiento italiano o verde sin semillas, cortado en pedazos

1 taza de cebolla cortada en pedozas

3 dientes de ajo, cortados por la mitad

1/4 taza de hojas de cilantro, cortadas en pedazos

1/2 taza de hojas de recao o cilantro, cortadas en pedozas

Mezcle el pimiento, el ají, la cebolla, el ajo, el cilantro y el recao en un procesador de alimentos o una licuadora. Si usa la licuadora debe añadir un poco de agua para mezclar los ingredientes.

RINDE 2 YAZAS

Información Nutritiva: 1 taza. 62 calorías de grasa. 14 gramos de carbohidrato. 0 gramos de grasa. 2 gramos de proteína

Nota: Se puede hacer el sofrito en grandes cantidades y congelarlo para usar luego.

Stewed Red Beans

1 pound of dried small red beans

6 cups water

1/2 large green pepper, seeded and chopped

1/2 medium onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, ground or chopped

1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves

1/4 cup recao or cilantro leaves, chopped

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 cup tomato sauce

1 cup calabaza or butternut squash, peeled and cut into chunks

1/4 teaspoon badia (yellow coloring)

Sort and rinse the beans with cold water until clean. Soak in 3 cups of the water for 6-8 hours or overnight. Do not drain. Bring the beans to a boil in a large saucepan. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 1 hour or until tender.

Combine the pepper, onion and garlic, cilantro, recao, and oil in skillet and saute over medium heat for 4 minutes. Add the tomato sauce and badia and cook for 5 more minutes. Add this mixture to the saucepan. Add 3 cups of cold water and bring to a boil. Add the squash. Reduce the heat, cover with the lid slightly open and simmer for 20 minutes or until the sauce thickens.

MAKES 8 SERVINGS of 1 cup each.

Nutritional information: 1 cup. 217 calories: 5% calories from fat. 40 grams of carbohydrate. 1 gram of fat. 14 grams of fat.

Habichuelas Coloradas Guisadas

1 libra de habichuelas coloradas pequeñas secas

6 tazaz de agua

1/2 pimiento verde grande sin semillas, picado

1/2 cebolla mediana o picados

2 dientes de ajo, molidos o picadas

1/2 taza de hojas de cilantro, picadas

1/4 taza de hojas de recao o cilantro, picada

1 cucharadita de aceite de oliva

1 taza de salsa de tomate

1 taza de calabaza, pelada y cortada en trozos

1/4 cucharadita de badia (colorante)

Limpie y lave las habichuelas secas con agua fría y póngolas a remojar en 3 tazas de agua por 6 a 8 horas o toda la noche. No las escurra. Póngolas a hervir en una olla grande. Reduzca el fuego tápela y hierva a fuego lento por una hora o hasta que estén blandas.

Mezcle el pimiento, le cebolla, el ajo, el cilantro, el recao, y el aceite en una cacerola o sartén y sofría a fuego moderado por 4 minutos. Añada la salsa de tomate y badia y cocine por 5 minutos más. Añada esta mezcla a la olla. Añada 3 tazas de agua y póngolas a hervir. Añada la calabaza. Reduzca el fuego y hierva a fuego lento con la tapa un poco abierta por 20 minutos o hasta que el liquido esté espeso.

RINDE 8 RACIONES de 1 taza cada una.

Información Nutritiva: 1 taza. 217 calorías. 5% calorías de la grasa. 40 gramos de carbohidrato. 1 gramo de grasa. 14 gramos de proteína

Kathy also provided recipes for additional dishes in English and Spanish. They are:

Chicken Asopao
Rice with Pigeon Beans
Sancocho

Please contact me for copies.

Additionally, the Center for Disease Control has a website that provides nutritional information and recipes that might be very helpful for patients. One is able to select recipes by food groups (for example, dessert, finger food etc.) as well as by fruit or vegetable. It also has featured fruits and vegetables each month and other interactive tools to help people make healthy choices.
http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/dnparecipe/recipesearch.aspx

Kathy from Holyoke also sent the following link that has other recipes and their nutritional information. http://www.kraftfoods.com/

Thanks, Kathy for all your help!

Policy Update and Helpful Tools

2009-05-15T07:53:00.000-07:00

The MA Public Health Council has approved two policies outlined in MASS in Motion, a wide ranging statewide initiative to promote a range of wellness activities for MA residents.

On April 8 , the statewide regulations to require public schools to regularly measure BMI on all students and to provide parents with the information passed unanimously. The results will be mailed to the parents along with information to help them understand the results and tips for helping children eat better and become more active. Kids will be screened in grades 1st, 4th, 7th and 10th. Parents can opt out of the screening process at any time. Aggregate data will be shared with the Department of Public Health to analyze trends in weight status for school-age children. (1)

On May 13, the DPH Commission also approved rules requiring major chain restaurants to provide calorie information on their food. Information must be at the point of purchase. Fifty chains with over 5000 locations will be affected. Both policies have an 18 month roll-out timeline. (2) Please see www.mass.gov/MassInMotion for more information.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) also utilizes a multi-faceted strong community approach to combating pediatric obesity. RWJF developed a toolkit for obesity advocacy to assist local and state leaders to help promote healthy active communities. Suggestions run the gamut from how leaders can provide incentives for farmer's markets to how they can support laws that encourage mixed-use development.
http://www.rwjf.org/childhoodobesity/product.jsp?id=42514

The Center for Disease Control has an article on portion size that might be very helpful to Healthy Weight Clinic patients. It outlines tips for managing portion control as well as popular misconceptions folks might have around how much to eat how often. Included on the page is a game that can be printed out for use in the Healthy Weight Clinic that kids might find fun and helpful.
http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/healthy_eating/portion_size.html

(1) Manley, J. (2009, April 8). Public Health Council Approves New Regulations Requiring BMI Measurements for Schoolchildren, [Press Release]. Boston. Office of Health and Human Services.

(2) Lyons, T. (2009, May 13). Massachusetts Approves Calorie Labeling Measure for Major Chain Restaurants, [Press Release]. Boston. Office of Health and Human Services.

Congrats to OCHS and Summer Camp Guides

2009-04-24T07:06:00.000-07:00

CAVU would like to recognize Outer Cape Health Services as they prepare to move from the planning phase of their Healthy Weight Clinic to operations with the newly added clinics. Their willingness to participate in collaborative activities this past year speaks to OCHS's commitment to the collaborative and the health of the children they serve.

I also wanted to pass along some summer camp guides (see links below). While some camps may already be full, most camps have financial assistance set aside to help children who would otherwise be unable to access their facility. Please feel free to pass this information on to parents or follow up with any local camps directly.

http://www.acane-camps.org/

http://www.gocamps.com/

http://www.summer-daycamps.com/

http://www.campresource.com/

I am looking forward to seeing you all on Tuesday!

Penny

Congratulations to the New Healthy Weight Clinics

2009-04-03T12:04:00.000-07:00

We would like to congratulate the new additions to the Healthy Weight Initiative!

Bowdoin Street Health Center
Greater New Bedford Community Health Center
Lowell Community Health Center

We look forward to meeting the HWC teams at the live meeting on April 28, 2009 and working together!

Helpful Information

Evan passed this along for the team to read:
http://www.commercialexploitation.org/news/2008/12/childrenmediahealth.htm

Exercise Tips for Kids

2008-11-21T08:46:00.000-08:00

Thanks to all for making the Collaborative Live Meeting such a success! We were so excited to be able to hear and share in everyone's accomplishments .

We are looking forward to speaking with an exercise physiologist on our December 17th collaborative call. Please see below tips about kids and exercise.

http://sportsmedicine.about.com/cs/kids/a/031904a.htm getting your child involved in exercise: tips for parents

http://www.pediatricsnow.com/FitTips.html fit tips for kids from Pediatrics Now

http://www.kidsfitnesscentral.com/ kids fitness central full of articles, tips, etc.

Please also see the article Michael Pollack wrote to the president elect and "first farmer in chief". It is very relevant to our ongoing discussions of food, its production, and its impact on our families. Hope you enjoy it.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/12/magazine/12policy-t.html?pagewanted=all

Food resources

2008-09-15T09:31:00.000-07:00

9.17.2008 Collaborative Meeting
Resource Sharing
How to get patients voucher coupons for farmer’s markets: http://www.mass.gov/agr/markets/farmersmarkets/coupons.htm http://www.mass.gov/agr/markets/farmersmarkets/resources_consumers.htm
List of farmer’s markets in the state:
http://www.mass.gov/agr/massgrown/farmers_markets.htm
Food Bank of Western MA:
http://www.foodbankwma.org/assistance.htm
Food Bank of Western MA benefits resource:
http://www.foodbankwma.org/assistance_files/BENEFITS%20HANDOUT.pdf
Boston Resources:
http://www.bostonresourcenet.org/assistance/food.htm
http://www.cambridgema.gov/DHSP2/meals4.cfm
http://www.gbfb.org/programs/index.cfm

Relevant Articles
Top Ten Barriers to Organic and Local Food Access for Low-Income Individuals
http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_11228.cfm
Farmer’s, Low-Income Residents Benefit from Coupons for Fresh Produce: http://www.tauntongazette.com/news/business_news/x1311851283/Farmers-low-income-residents-benefit-from-coupons-for-fresh-produce

Portion Plates

2008-07-28T12:13:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! Vinny had the following question: Is anyone using portion plates as part of their teaching? If so we are looking for a resource to possibly order some in English and Spanish for our Healthy Weight clinic. Please feel free to utilize this space to discuss!

Penny

New urban camp fighting obesity

Is your television safe? :Advertisements may be contributing to the childhood obesity epidemic.

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/BeautySecrets/story?id=4568813&page=1

Obesity Linked to Gum Disease

Los Angeles wants to take bite out of fast food

2008-07-23T13:29:00.000-07:00

What a great time we had in Holyoke! Deirdre and I were invited to celebrate an exciting new program. A local farm (http://www.nuestras-raices.org/) has partnered with the YMCA, the Holyoke Health Center, and other community partners to bring local youth to the farm in two week sessions throughout the summer. The kids are getting a chance to be outside, participate in work around the farm, learn about where their food comes from, and basically have a blast! These partners held a press conference yesterday (I will post links to articles as they are published) at the farm with the kids in attendance, who spoke very candidly about junk food, eating fruits and veggies, and how to steer a canoe. The Healthy Weight Team had a great HWC poster and flyers. We always welcome the opportunity to visit participating clinics and see more of your work first-hand.

In line with my last few blog entries, I have also compiled some resources on Hypertension and Children including screening guidelines as well as some related articles. Please feel free to let me know if there are other topics you would like me to research or if have any other suggestions about what would be helpful to you!

Penny

Blood Pressure Tables for Children and Adolescents, NHLBI

Hypertension in Children and Adolescents: http://www.aafp.org/afp/20060501/1558.html

Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Sequelae in Hypertensive Children: http://hyper.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/43/2/214

NHLBI HIN Health Action e-Bulletin

Overweight, Ethnicity, and the Prevalence of Hypertension in School-Aged Children: http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/113/3/475

Diabetes Screening Guidelines/ Articles/ Blogs

2008-07-22T06:45:00.000-07:00

Good afternoon, All!

Shikha thought diabetes screening guidelines would be helpful for folks to have, so here they are with some accompanying blogs, articles, and otherwise helpful materials around the issue of type 2 diabetes. Hope all is well!

Penny

diabetes screening guidelines:
http://www.doh.wa.gov/hsqa/fsl/Documents/LQA_Docs/Diabetes.pdf
http://www.diabetesinmichigan.org/EdHandout/PDF/ADAscreenguidelinesmedsetting.pdf

article on possible genetic link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6342855.stm

NDEP Diabetes in Children and Adolescents Fact Sheet

Diabetes Cure Blog

National Study Reveals Doubling in Type 2 Diabetes Prescriptions in Children: http://www.feedsfarm.com/article/dff175756f97debc9c530848be9f9a92abf042ca.html

Diabetes Watch Blog: From MedicineWorld.Org

http://www.sugarshockblog.com/2007/05/complications_d.html

Future Medicine - Future Lipidology - 3(2):123 - Full Text

http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-research/summaries/huerta-magnesium.jsp

Ongoing discussion

2008-07-17T11:14:00.000-07:00

Hey Team!

I just wanted to respond to the ongoing discussions of the Collaborative conference call. The clinics are going so great and are gaining momentum. Definitely some great successes! I appreciate people taking the time to learn about our ongoing forays into technology: speaking of which the address for the HWI wiki is http://healthyfamilywiki.org/. Feel free to check it out and get acquainted. More information will be added as we move forward. If there are questions or folks would like additional help around the wiki please contact me and we will be happy to be of assistance. Thanks for taking the time to fill out surveys: hopefully they aren't too onerous. We will put all information to good use to help us assist you in your important work. I added some new links about the ongoing debate about prescribing statins for children. Hope you find them useful! There are some interesting blogs with some great conversations around this issue.

Penny

http://www.blogher.com/childhood-obesity-should-we-give-children-cholesterol-lowering-

http://iht.com/articles/2008/07/10/healthscience/snchol.php

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/07/07/cholesterol-drugs-for-kids/

http://www.diseaseproof.com/archives/cholesterol-my-thoughts-on-giving-children-cholesterol-drugs.html

http://www.newmediaexplorer.org/sepp/2008/07/07/cholesterol_drugs_for_kids_pharma_quo_vadis.htm

Doctors Averse to Cholesterol Drugs for Kids : NPR

Great Start!

2008-07-03T08:03:00.000-07:00

June has been a great month for the Healthy Weight Initiative with clinics up and running. We are getting a lot of great feedback that will help us improve. There has been a fair amount of feedback on the paper form and we will be be assessing over the next couple of months what permanent changes will be made. The clinics sound like they are running great with some wonderful creative ideas and incentives, from jump ropes to farmer's market coupons. People are really going out of their way to get patients to buy-in and get excited. Thanks to the case managers and all who completed the survey that was sent out. We really appreciate the time spent to get our resource mapping project underway! Thanks for hanging in there as our technology gets up and running. Our technology team is working feverishly to make the web data entry system operational. There were some interesting articles in the last month so please check out the links below. Please be aware these links are intended as information only to further discussion on current issues/strategies related to overweight/obesity. The Healthy Weight Initiative does not endorse the below articles/information.

Cholesterol drugs recommended for some 8-year-olds

Scientists identify variants of gene that boost the risk of obesity

The Future of Children - Issue

BlubberBusters: Overweight kids site - for children and teens

Overweight Kids: College Less Likely - TIME

Looking for Solutions to Childhood Obesity

Kick Off!

2008-05-23T07:18:00.000-07:00

With June came the kick-off of the Healthy Weight Clinic at our sites around the state! We have really enjoyed visiting the clinics and seeing everyone's unique take on the HWC and its operations. Kudos to all for doing all the prep work necessary to add a clinic into an already busy schedule. What has struck us on our site visits is the staff commitment and willingness to do whatever it takes to bring this level of patient care to children to improve their health and well being. CAVU is absolutely committed to assisting you and your team and welcomes the opportunity to grow and respond as the HWI moves forward. The HWI blog is going to facilitate and inform this process. We are so excited to get this blog up and running as a way to share challenges, aha! moments, and resources* as we all learn together and embark down this exciting path. As the HWI grows and builds momentum, this blog will serve as a conduit to streamline operations as well as provide support. We have been so thrilled with the collaborative spirit of the HWC teams and look forward to helping that flourish! Please feel free to post your experiences, questions, and concerns.

Shikha and Penny

* a helpful resource for parents: http://www.keepkidshealthy.com/ has a lot of tips for parents

* a great site for kids: includes interactive games KidsHealth - Kids

* www.mayoclinic.com/health/bmi-calculator/NU00597 Check out the BMI calculator and use if helpful!

* See legislation in other states at Florida gets tougher physical education standards

* Check out The Commission to Build a Healthier America from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation at http://www.commissiononhealth.org/. It has great information to further our work on this important issue.

* See this article http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1809829,00.html