Teaching Hispanics About Healthy Food Choices

CreateYour Weight: The 10-week, no-cost diet program aimed at Hispanics kicked off atAventura Hospital in Miami last week. The program is offered completely inSpanish and teaches Hispanics about healthy food choices, cooking and exercise.The program aims to "lure people away from fast-food restaurants andtoward the healthier foods of their culture: corn, beans, rice, lean cuts offish and chicken," the MiamiHeraldreports. The Florida Department of Health's Hispanic Obesity Prevention andEducation program is funding the program with a $20,000 grant (Amerikaner, MiamiHerald, 1/13).

FortWayne, Ind.: Charities in northeastern Indianahave received $133,000 in grants from Catholic Charities to help provide healthservices to refugees expected from Myanmar over the next year. Anestimated 800 to 1,000 refugees from Myanmarare expected to settle in Fort Waynein 2008. According to the AP/WLFI, about 40% of adult refugees are expected tohave latent tuberculosis and hepatitis, while many child refugees have low bodyweights (AP/WLFI, 1/12).

Montana-Wyoming Tribal Leaders Council: The council has received athree-year, $5.6 million federal grant that it will use to help American Indiancommunities fight substance use. The money will go to Rocky Mountain TribalAccess to Recovery, a new program that aims to broaden treatment and supportsystems. The program offers services such as transportation, child care,cultural mentoring, spiritual support and programs for sober recreation andexercise (Cochran, BillingsGazette,1/15).

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