ORLANDO, Fla., June 30, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The first national Latinos Living Healthy Town Hall took place today at the 83rd Annual LULAC Convention held in Orlando. The Town Hall, sponsored by Microsoft, addressed how school environments, access to nutritious affordable foods, physical activity, and quality health care are pivotal in reversing the obesity epidemic, chronic diseases, and high health care costs.
The expert panelists at The Latinos Living Healthy Town Hall included encouraged a discussion on how advocates from the local and federal levels can affect real world change in their communities.
Among the panelists were Tres Bailey, Director of Agriculture and Food, Federal Government Relations and Roger Guzman from Wal-Mart who spoke about the store's "Great For You" program and other ways the company is promoting healthy eating and improving access to affordable healthy foods. Dr. Howard Koh, Assistant Secretary for Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Resources, spoke about the disparities and how provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) are benefiting minority communities. Lisa Pino, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary, the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Agriculture, spoke about Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and other USDA nutrition assistance programs. Also present were Jessica Donze Black, Manager for "Kid's Safe and Healthful Foods Project", the Pew Health Group, and Sinsi Hernandez-Cancio, Director of Health Equity, FamiliesUSA, who addressed specifics of the ACA, Medicare, Medicaid, and other health programs. Finally, Celinda Peña, Senior Advisor for Latino Outreach, National Park Service spoke about the Healthy Parks, Healthy People initiative.
"There are 50 million Latinos in this country who currently spend about $2.6 trillion a year on health care costs," stated LULAC National President Margaret Moran. "It's not only important that LULAC focuses on how obesity related ailments affect our community but also inform how education and programs can help reverse this trend. We cannot ignore the fact that by year 2030 nearly 40 percent of Hispanic children and adolescents will be overweight and obese. As the nation's largest, fastest growing, and most under-insured population, Latinos will bear a substantial burden if we are to have healthier lives."
"Microsoft is proud to partner with LULAC on this innovative initiative that helps children and their parents lead healthier, more active lives," said Fred Humphries, Microsoft Vice President for U.S. Government Affairs. "By utilizing interactive technologies like Kinect for Xbox 360, parents can get the whole family moving and stay in shape while having fun."
The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) is the nation's largest and oldest civil rights volunteer-based organization that empowers Hispanic Americans and builds strong Latino communities. Headquartered in Washington, DC, with 900 councils around the United States and Puerto Rico, LULAC's programs, services and advocacy address the most important issues for Latinos, meeting critical needs of today and the future. For more information, visit www.lulac.org.
The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=12386