Healthy Heart Program Updates
In this Issue
As I write this summary for this issue, an item of interest to many of you has just been released.
On December 7, 2005, The U.S. Department of Agriculture launched the Spanish-language version of MyPyramid.gov, an online guide designed to help Americans live healthier lives. MiPirámide will make it easier for Spanish-speaking Americans to find nutrition information vital to good health and personalize that information to their own lifestyle. Since it was unveiled in April, the English-language version of MyPyramid has become one of the most widely visited government websites, with more than 1.1 billion hits.
Both sites emphasize:
- Making smart choices from every food group.
- Finding your own balance between food intake and physical activity.
- Getting the most nutrition from calories consumed.
According to researchers, nearly three out of four Latino adults and one out of four Latin children is overweight or obese. The rate of Type 2 diabetes, which has been linked to overweight, is roughly twice as high among Latinos compared with the general population.
As we focus on heart disease and our New Year efforts to support more heart healthy lifestyle practices, this tool may be of assistance. We are aware that there remains much for us to do and what strategies to use to increase our efforts to reduce the risk for major chronic diseases through diet and physical activity.
An appropriate New Year's resolution may be to focus on maintaining weight. For those who wish to lose weight, perhaps the best place to start is to add or increase exercise/activity. After that make some behavior changes. A good place to start is monitoring portion sizes. Remember that a slower weight loss is more likely to stay off as healthy behaviors become a part of daily life.
We wish you a happy and healthy holiday season and best wishes for a heart healthy new year.
Jennifer Anderson, Ph.D., R.D.
Food and Nutrition Extension Specialist
Shirley Perryman, M.S., R.D.
Extension Specialist
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Updated Tuesday, September 25, 2007.
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