Happier Meals

This year several fast food restaurants have revamped their menus especially options for the kiddies to make their meals healthier. Beginning in October, Arby’s will follow suite and unveil two new kids’ meal entrees and replace fries with apple slices and strawberry yogurt dipping sauce as a side to every option on its Kids Meal menu. The new children’s menu offering will reduce calories by a whopping 40 percent, fat by 70 percent, and sodium by 50 percent.

Studies show that the number of meals eating outside of the home has constantly increased. Having healthier options makes it easier for consumers to make healthier choices. In Texas children have an obesity rate of over 20%. Restaurants providing options that are lower in calories and fat can have a positive effect on children’s health.

Here is the entire article:

http://www.qsrmagazine.com/exclusives/arby-s-revamps-kids-meals

AHA Scholarship for Multicultural Women

The AHA has teamed up with Macy's to provide scholarships to multicultural women interested in healthcare careers. With the Go Red For Women awareness campaign, the AHA will expand access and availability to 16 women who are students in the medical field. This will increase awareness in health care. The scholarships are $2,500 to go toward school. The deadline is November 30th so request an application now!!

Visit GoRedForWomen.org/GoRedScholarship.

Read more from our newsletter:
"Macy's is proud to have helped launch the Go Red Multicultural Scholarship Fund to encourage students nationwide to explore career opportunities that make a direct impact in their communities by joining the fight against heart disease in women," said Bill Hawthorne, Macy's senior vice president of Diversity Strategies.

"Ethnically diverse women are needed in the healthcare field. They can have a very positive impact on the delivery of healthcare services to diverse populations because they understand their communities and they know how to provide care that is meaningful, appropriate and sensitive to their needs," said Eva Gómez, R.N., Go Red Por Tu Corazón spokesperson and staff development specialist in the Department of Nursing at Children's Hospital Boston.

The City That Never Sleeps is Becoming the City That Never Smokes Too!

Kudos to the Big Apple!

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and company recently announced that New York City’s adult smoking rate has reached an all-time low with only 14 out of 100 New Yorkers still smoking.

Since inception of aggresive smoking ban ads in 2002, there has been a 35% decrease in New York smokers. This equates to 450,000 fewer adult smokers.

“Smoking is the leading cause of preventable, premature death in New York City and the nation today and we’re proud that a record number of News Yorkers are saving their own lives by quitting,” said Mayor Bloomberg.

“The fact that the adult smoking rate is the lowest it’s been since 2002 means that lives are being saved, our air is cleaner and New Yorkers are healthier,” said Council Speaker Christine Quinn. “In the last ten years we’ve become an increasingly smoke-free city. We’ve reduced the exposure to secondhand smoke for millions of New Yorkers by passing several measures to strengthen our Smoke Free Air Act, including an amendment last May that made our public parks and beaches smoke-free. This matters because according to experts secondhand smoke causes more cancer deaths than asbestos, benzene, arsenic, and pesticides combined.”

September is ALL About Obesity Awareness

Check out this cool article we found on Seattle PI blog:

It highlights some of the stats effectong children. This week in Texas is Obesity Awareness Week. What are you doing to address the issue? Let us know on our Twitter. www.twitter.com/houstondines.

Link to the complete article: http://blog.seattlepi.com/timigustafsonrd/2011/09/11/president-proclaims-september-as-childhood-obesity-awareness-month/

President Obama has marked September 2011 as the first “National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month,” calling on all Americans to “promote healthy eating and greater physical activity by all our nation’s children.”“By taking action to address the issue of childhood obesity,” the president went on, “we can help America’s next generation reach their full potential.”As an example for the kind of action the president had in mind, he named his wife’s initiative, called “Let’s Move!” – a program that encourages government agencies, corporations and advocacy groups to unite in the fight against the growing obesity crisis that afflicts America’s youngest generation today.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), childhood obesity has more than tripled over the past 30 years. One if five children age six to 11 is now being considered obese. The numbers are similar for adolescents age 12 to 19. And the trend continues. “Childhood obesity statistics and facts are more and more pessimistic and should be an alarm sign for all those who don’t take it seriously,” warns the latest CDC report on obesity trends in America of 2010.

Obesity Awareness Week

As a proud Texan you already know that in 2007 the 80th Legislature designated the second full week in September as Obesity Awareness Week. This week was created to draw attention to the growing epidemic that is plaguing the state. For instance, the obesity rate in Texas has increased by more than 80% within the past 15 years. Texas is now ranked as the 12th FATTEST state in the nation, almost proving that everything is BIGGER in Texas. Obesity was estimated to cost this great state's employers about $9.5 billion in 2009.

Now it's time to combat obesity Chuck Norris style. Here are three things that you and your family can do during Texas Obesity Awareness Week:

1. Exercise for 30 minutes at least 4 days during Texas Obesity Week. Exercise could include walking, running, swimming...almost any verb you can think of.

2. Make healthier food choices. Just say "NO" to mayo all week long.

3. Involve your entire community! Make health your priority! You're a Texan, You can do it!

3a. If you're in Houston come join us on Saturday, September 10th at Discovery Green Family Health Day from 2pm-8pm!