New U.S. Dietary Guidelines Focus on Salt Reduction - Targets African Americans

New U.S. Dietary Guidelines Focus on Salt Reduction -

Targets African Americans

Today, the Federal Government provided new and improved dietary guidelines for all Americans, and are the first new guidelines since 2005. The new guidelines focus mostly on salt intake, recommending that Americans limit their daily sodium intake to less than 2,300 milligrams (about a teaspoon) a day for most people. However, as a strong statement to the African-American population, the guidelines go further suggesting that they cut their salt intake even further to less thatn 1,5000 milligrans. These sharper guidelines also apply to people aged 51 or older, and people who have hypertension, diabetes, or chronic kidney disease, regardless of their age. While it's true that statistics show African Americans suffer from these diseases at a disproportionate rate when compared to the rest of the American population, we wonder why the stricter guidelines wouldn't just be applied to all Americans, considering the current obesity crisis in this country. What do you think? Are the targeted guidelines for different races, ages, etc. a progressive approach to tackle problems in those specific communities, or would a general diagnosis for all Americans prove more worth-while?

Highlighted Clip for Monday, January 31, 2011:

New U.S. diet guidelines urge less salt, more dairy

Nanci Hellmich

Many Americans' diets are a train wreck loaded with junk food, fast food, sugary beverages and too few healthful foods.

King’s Dream of ‘Equality’ Still Unrealized

King’s Dream of ‘Equality’ Still Unrealized

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. believed in something far greater when he delivered his August 28, 1963, “I Have a Dream Speech” from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. King sought equality of life for all men and women as he spoke from our nation’s capital, a place where decisions are to be followed by actions to aid the greater good. Earlier this month, we honored King’s dream through service but how have we bridged the equality gaps—particularly in education and health equity? Today’s Washington Post blog post “On This We Should Agree,” presents glaring statistics on critical education and health gaps among African Americans, American Indians, Latinos and the poor. This serves to remind us what happens when dreams attainable become dreams forgotten. Someone once said, “It’s not how you start but how you finish.” But, how can we finish if we haven’t even started? What do you think?

Highlighted Clip for Friday, January 28, 2011:

"On This We Should All Agree"

By: Sean SladeThere isn’t likely to be peace in the education world over charter schools and standardized testing, but on this we can and should agree: The need to focus attention on disparities among our youth in education and in health.

Another Washington Snow Storm... Another Mess and More Power Outages

Another Washington Snow Storm... 

Another Mess and More Power Outages

Well, that was a lot worse than it looks like many expected. We've been hearing horror stories from our associates, family, and friends about 3-5 hour commutes home, people getting stuck and abandoning their cars on the highways, downed power lines, and thousands of DC & Maryland residents still without power. After all the hoopla that was made post-snowpocalypse 2010, concerning Pepco's response and preparation to last year's big storm, you would have thought our city planners would have been more prepared for what has turned out to be a hard-hitting, but less severe winter blast this year. What do you think? Did DC/MD/VA do a well-enough job responding to all the snow this year? Or do you think everyone's just overreacting? Share your thoughts, comments and snow horror stories in our comments section!

Highlighted Clip for Thursday, January 27, 2011:

"Washington stumbles to its feet after hard-hitting storm"

By: Ashley Halsey III and Carol Morello

With tens of thousands of people still without power throughout the region, Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley said this afternoon that "reliability standards" expected of utility companies would be reviewed by the state legislature.

Science, Technology and Humanities Will Lead Us to a Brighter Tomorrow

Science, Technology and Humanities Will Lead Us to a Brighter Tomorrow

In his State of the Union address last night, President Obama talked about winning America’s future through technological innovation and education. As a parent of two children enrolled in public schools in D.C., I wondered what impact the president’s prescription for progress would have on my son and daughter and all public school students. My son, who’s heading to 9^th grade in September, loves math, technology and science and envisions a career in engineering. My daughter, a 10^th-grader, attends a blue-ribbon school with a strong humanities program.  Like my son, she loves the sciences but also has a passion for literature, history and theater arts. I like the president’s idea of providing more funding for science education, but I would not want the support to come at the expense of other disciplines. Achieving our future will require not just advances in technology but also knowledge of history, the perpetual production of poetry and prose, and a vibrant theater culture. That is to say, the humanities are as important as the sciences. We need a multidisciplinary approach for reaching tomorrow.

For full story, see "Obama Plays Up Technology's Value In State Of The Union 2011": http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/26/state-of-the-union-2011-technology_n_814117.html

Race & Gender in Pop Culture

Race & Gender in Pop Culture

By: Donna Lewis Johnson



If you are the mother of a teenage girl, as I am, you know the name Justin Bieber and the intense effect the mere mention of the name has on girls. Justin Bieber is to my daughter’s generation what Michael Jackson was to mine – the man we wanted to marry. With his eponymous Bieber bangs, soulful charisma, impish charm, and bona fide musical talent, Bieber is a Boy Wonder who in 18 months rose from an aspiring recording artist in small-town Canada to an international phenom who sold out Madison Square Garden in 22 minutes. I know Bieber’s story because I accompanied my daughter and her classmate to a sneak preview of “Never Say Never,” a 3-D biopic about the 16-year-old mega star who girls faint, squeal, and fantasize over.

Sitting in the theater among dozens of adolescent and teenage girls who were clearly awash in Bieber fever, I wondered what to make of the whole thing.  The Bieber Effect. Is it a harmless crush like the one I had on Michael Jackson? Or the exploitation of impressionable girls who see their worth relative to a celebrity’s view of them?  The latter question is legit. As a standard feature of his concert, Bieber serenades a girl from the audience, promising her “there’s gonna be one less lonely girl.” The chosen girl sits in the middle of the stage, under a halo of strobe lights, while Justin croons intimately. Without fail, each girl at every concert paws her face, swipes away tears, and trembles at her astonishing fate.

I have a couple of problems with the theatrics.  For one, all the “chosen” girls are white.  My daughter is African American. Based on the consistent selection of white girls, it’s reasonable to assume that my daughter would not make the cut, which leads to my second issue that I’ll get to in a minute.

Bur for now, how anachronistic of Justin and his team. This is not the ‘50s when interracial dating was unlawful in many states and taboo across America. The crumbling of racial barriers through civil rights activism combined with the growing number of people of color in America creates a new social milieu where blacks, whites, browns and others couple freely.

Here’s the other issue. Girls are objectified in the movie. The dynamic of one guy in demand by hundreds of thousands of girls vying to be the object of his affection troubles me. Pick me. Pick me. Oh, those desperate pleas.

Maybe I’m making way too much of the effect Justin Bieber has on his fans.  After all, I went on with my life after realizing as a teenager that I would never be Mrs. King of Pop.

Your Good Health Begins Today, No Matter Your Age: Remembering Jack LaLanne

Your Good Health Begins Today, No Matter Your Age: Remembering Jack LaLanne

Highlighted Clip for Monday, January 24, 2011:

Nicknamed "The Father of Fitness," longtime exercise guru Jack LaLanne who inspired health and wellness in American households since the 1950s, passed away Sunday at 96. Admitting in his younger days he consumed too much junk food, LaLanne made it his personal responsibility to "get off the couch" and exercise daily and become educated about the food he ate. Today more Americans battle obesity and chronic diseases at younger ages and higher rates of morbidity. Working long hours, juggling multiple tasks may leave little room for a strenuous fitness plan but small, consistent changes can have big impact. Our safety net to longer living may not rest entirely in health care reform. Therefore, we must assume personal responsibility for our health. Habits repeated become lifestyles entrenched--whether they are good or bad habits.

For full story, see "Remembering Jack LaLanne, Dead at 96"

https://mail.mckpr.com/owa/redir.aspx?C=404023c14fec4b2b90d927a79547e916&URL=http%3a%2f%2fhealthland.time.com%2f2011%2f01%2f24%2ffather-of-fitness-jack-lalanne-dead-at-96%2f%3fxid%3drss-topstories%26utm_source%3dfeedburner%26utm_medium%3dfeed%26utm_campaign%3dFeed%253A%2btime%252Ftopstories%2b%2528TIME%253A%2bTop%2bStories%2529%26utm_content%3dGoogle%2bReader

Smoke and mirrors... Or is Wal-Mart serious about a new corporate image?

Smoke and mirrors...  Or is Wal-Mart serious about a new corporate image?

One can only hope that first lady Michelle Obama’s praise of Wal-Mart’s healthy foods campaign, announced yesterday at a Washington, DC-based community center, is not misconstrued nor lets the retail giant off the hook for past transgressions.  The Arkansas-based corporation’s history of opposing workers’ right to unionize, paying low wages and not offering benefits are still major concerns, and little has been done or said by the corporation to suggest a significant shift in these practices.  No one denies that the chain’s push to provide healthy and affordable foods in underserved communities is a step in the right direction.  But we still need evidence that Wal-Mart is cleaning up its anti-worker business practices along with its growing expansion into inner-city neighborhoods.

Highlighted Clip for Friday, January 20, 2011:

White House support of Wal-Mart food initiative shows new tone toward retailer

Perry Bacon Jr. and Nia-Malika Henderson

Four years ago, leading Democrats were virtually at war with Wal-Mart.