Our friends at Salud America have announced a program to get your kids moving this summer, and take a break from their video game routine. Instead, they can switch gears on the computer and focus on some exercise.
Latino kids, for various reasons, tend to suffer from childhood obesity. That’s why Michigan State University is offering an online study geared to increasing physical activity along with mental wellness for Hispanic children between the ages of 7 to 11. Those selected to participate in the program will be assigned to a twice-a-day regiment to be completed in just 10-15 minutes for a period of 12 weeks via an online computer application.
Direct benefits include include the opportunity to improve motor skills and knowledge, plus health and emotional well-being. And of course, physical activity is part of the mix. The best part is that the study is FREE to join anywhere in the United States, and families can earn $50 just for participating. According to a report last year by the National Survey of Children’s Health, 22.7% of Latino youngsters between the ages of 10 through 17 were considered obese. That figure led the nation when compared to Asian, white and even black kids. So what’s the problem? Research shows that only one of three Latino children have access to a public park within walking distance, and only 19% of those kids have recreational green spaces close to where they live. By comparison, 62% of white children have that privilege. And during the summer months, many Hispanic youngsters don’t receive balanced nutritional meals that their school might provide. This program at Michigan State could be a helpful project for the well being of your child.
For more information, please call Nancy Hernandez at 631 861-4290, or email her at Herna775@msu.edu.
Our Pledge
In the summer of 2016, I launched hispanichorizons.com to provide a voice for Latinos living here in the United States, in addition to their families and friends. We’ve published stories about trending personalities, sports, Hispanic cuisine from different countries in the region and of course, politics. It was an election year, as was 2020 and now again in 2024.
While the situation on our southern border is a mess right now, I feel like the new immigrant quotas President Biden has imposed, 2,500 per week, needs to be challenged. Equally disgusting was former President Trump’s policy of making immigrants wait in Mexico for months and even years while their applications were being processed at a snail’s pace. The main reason these folks cross illegally is because they are desperately seeking asylum. What Biden needs to do is hire more border patrol agents, assign more lawyers and judges and streamline the process at our main ports of entry. Putting quotas on the amount of people who can cross each week will only encourage people to break the law because they have no other choice. If an immigrant has family or a sponsor and is successfully vetted, there’s no reason why he or she shouldn’t have the opportunity to live the American dream.
Big government is another subject that makes me angry. In California, residents are paying taxes so high that it’s impossible to get ahead financially. The same goes for other large urban centers like Chicago and New York City. The Affordable Care Act is great because health care should be a human right. But we can’t let big government run our lives and prevent us from starting a business and prospering on our own. Our kids should be able to go to school and not be shot, like what happened in Uvalde, Texas when the police didn’t do their job.
At hispanichorizons.com, we will continue to publish inspirational stories about Latinos and Latinas in the news. And while we don’t endorse any particular candidates in this election year, we will try to keep you informed so you can make intelligent decisions when November comes. That’s our promise and pledge to you. Hispanics are now the largest minority group in this country, and that clout must be used at the ballot box.
Thank you for your support.
Esteban “Steve” Randel
