One in three children in the United States are overweight or obese. Childhood obesity puts kids at risk for health problems that were once seen only in adults, like type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease. The good news is that childhood obesity can be prevented. In recognition of National Childhood Obesity Awareness [...]
Did you know there are more than 80 farmer’s markets in Arizona? We are celebrating National Farmers Market Week from August 6-12, 2017. Farmers markets support healthy communities by increasing access to nutritious food, stimulating local economies, and preserving farmland and rural livelihoods. The Arizona Nutrition Network has launched a new interactive map to make [...]
Note: This week is National Public Health Week. This week I have a five-part public health series that explores the vast network of programs and services that help improve the health and wellness of all Arizonans. We have several public awareness campaigns and resources that help Arizonans in making decisions that positively affect their health. [...]
Today we're celebrating International Board Certified Lactation Consultants Day and recognizing the important role the consultants have to improve the lives of breastfeeding families. International Board Certified Lactation Consultants are healthcare professionals who specialize in the clinical management of breastfeeding and work in a wide variety of settings, including the Arizona WIC Program. When a [...]
The supplemental nutrition program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) is the nation’s most successful and cost-effective public health nutrition program. The Arizona WIC Program provides free healthy foods, nutrition education, breastfeeding services, and community referrals for income-eligible women who are pregnant or postpartum, infants, and children up to five years old. WIC connects moms [...]
Supporting breastfeeding mothers and babies is an important part of the Arizona Department of Health Services efforts to decrease childhood obesity. The United States Preventive Services Task Force has just updated their recommendations for primary care providers to include breastfeeding support during pregnancy and after birth. Evidence shows that these steps can increase the duration [...]
September is National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month and I am pleased to announce that we’ve seen the number of overweight or obese children decrease among our preschool children in the Arizona WIC Program from one in three to one in four. Back in 2008, 29.4 percent of preschoolers in the Arizona WIC Program were either [...]
We will be celebrating World Breastfeeding Week August 1 through 7. The week is an opportunity to showcase the benefits of breastfeeding, and what international support looks like for pregnant and breastfeeding women all over the world from various organizations and community groups. We will be hosting an event called LATCH-AZ, which will offer breastfeeding education [...]
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is undertaking a Lean Six Sigma process improvement project for the development of the WIC state plan. Six Sigma is a data-driven approach and methodology for eliminating shortcomings in processes. USDA selected a variety of state agencies and regional offices to take part in the five-month project. The [...]
Hospital support for breastfeeding has improved since 2007, both across the nation and here in Arizona, according to a recent Vital Signs report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In terms of hospitals implementing more than six of the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding, Arizona has gone from less than one in five [...]
