National Groups Discuss Child Hunger and Obesity Within the Latino Community

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 15, 2010

Contact:
Sherria Cotton
(202) 785-1670

NATIONAL GROUPS DISCUSS CHILD HUNGER AND OBESITY WITHIN THE LATINO COMMUNITY

Washington, DC—New data released today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture show that for the third year in a row, Latino children are the hungriest in America. At the same time they are experiencing record rates of childhood overweight and obesity. To get to the bottom of these alarming trends, Janet Murguía, President and CEO of NCLR (National Council of La Raza)—the largest national Latino civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States—along with representatives from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the First Lady’s Let’s Move! campaign, and Mary’s Center for Maternal and Child Care, will host a press conference on November 16 at 10:00 a.m. EST. As a prelude to the press briefing, Mary’s Center will host a healthy breakfast and cooking demonstration for guests, including Latino parents and children, using foods approved by the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and donated and prepared by culinary professionals from food service provider ARAMARK.

Both events will be held at Mary’s Center for Maternal and Child Care. The press event also marks the conclusion of NCLR’s series, Profiles of Latino Health: A Closer Look at Latino Child Nutrition, which examines critical factors affecting Latino children’s nutrition, including trends in hunger and obesity, as well as family access to healthy foods and other resources that play important roles in children’s nutritional outcomes.

MEDIA ADVISORY

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