Make physical activity a regular part of the day  Choose activities that you enjoy and can do regularly. Fitting activity into a daily routine can be easy — such   as taking a brisk 10 minute walk to and from the parking lot, bus stop, or subway station. Or, join an exercise class. Keep it interesting by trying something different on alternate days. Every little bit adds up and doing something is better than doing nothing. Make sure to do at least 10 minutes of activity at a time, shorter bursts of activity will not have the same health benefits. For example, walking the dog for 10 minutes before and after work or adding a 10 minute walk at lunchtime can add to your weekly goal. Mix it up. Swim, take a yoga class, garden or lift weights. To be ready anytime, keep some comfortable clothes and a pair of walking or running shoes in the car and at the office.

 Key Consumer Message: Make half your plate fruits and vegetables. 

 The Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, an organization of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, was established in 1994 to improve the nutrition and well-being of Americans. Toward this goal, the Center focuses its efforts on two primary objectives:

1. Advance and promote dietary guidance for all Americans, and
2. Conduct applied research and analyses in nutrition and consumer economics.

  POWER PACK YOUR DAY.Here are some easy ways to fill your day withfruits and vegetables as part of a healthy diet 

 EASY WAYS TO EAT MORE FRUITS AND VEGETABLES AS PART OF A HEALTHY DIET. 

 Childhood obesity is an epidemic. In the US, 1 preschooler in 5 is at least overweight, and half of these are obese. Breastfeeding helps protect against childhood obesity. A baby's risk of becoming an overweight child goes down with each month of breastfeeding. In the US, most babies start breastfeeding, but within the first week, half have already been given formula, and by 9 months, only 31% of babies are breastfeeding at all. Hospitals can either help or hinder mothers and babies as they begin to breastfeed. The Baby- Friendly Hospital Initiative describes Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding that have been shown to increase breastfeeding rates by providing support to mothers. Unfortunately, most US hospitals do not fully support breastfeeding; they should do more to make sure mothers can start and continue breastfeeding.

 PURPOSE: This paper aims to design a culturally appropriate weight management intervention for high-risk Latino families and to examine the feasibility of recruiting program participants. DESIGN AND METHODS: A descriptive design using qualitative and quantitative data collected during preliminary phases of an ongoing intervention study. RESULTS: From the preliminary works, a curriculum was revised for Latino families who have overweight children. The curriculum was modified to include suggestions from the focus groups, including helping mothers set limits with their children and make the transition to lighter foods and a more active family life. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: The information will aid professionals in the process of program design for Latino families who have weight concerns.PMID: 19238713 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] 

National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases: Osteoporosis and Hispanic Women

This webpage reports on the recent drop in U.S. women (including Hispanics) who receive late or no prenatal care. The data on early pre-natal care is broken down by ethnicity and age, and variation within ethnic sub-groups is indicated.

Late or No Prenatal Care Data

This study, conducted by Center for the Study of Latino Health and Culture at UCLA, reports on the health benefits for Latinas who seek early prenatal care, meaning in the first trimester of their pregnancy. The data was gathered from the 2002 Master Birth File for California.

Timely Access to Prenatal Care: Prime Necessity for Latina Mothers