Congreso, a nationally recognized social service organization in Philadelphia, has joined forces with the Pennsylvania Medical Society to address the negative health impact of excessive body weight through the “HeadsUp on Health®—Vanguardia de la Salud” initiative. Obesity, a national epidemic, has had a particularly harsh impact among the Latino population.
According to Pennsylvania Medical Society president, Mark A. Piasio, MD:
“Today's obesity epidemic is having a severe impact on Latinos. For example, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 26 percent of US Latina women are obese, compared to 20 percent of white women. Obesity-related diabetes and heart disease are claiming more and more Latino lives.”
The “HeadsUp on Health®—Vanguardia de la Salud” program is intended to:
- Raise awareness of the negative impact of obesity on health
- Offer simple advice on diet and exercise
- Identify and help Latinos at risk for diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease
Targeted at mothers and caregivers, the program aims to gradually introduce healthy, culturally acceptable dietary and lifestyle changes into Latino families.
“HeadsUp on Health®—Vanguardia de la Salud” will be launched as a pilot in eastern Pennsylvania beginning in early 2007. If the pilot is successful, future plans include expanding the effort across the state and then nationwide.
The components of the pilot are:
- A culturally appropriate, healthy TV cooking show on Telemundo/Comcast
- Two informative booklets to be distributed through food stores (bodegas), the media, physician offices, and other outlets
- Body mass index and blood pressure screenings
To find out more about Congreso and its services, go to www.congreso.net.