- (Focus Area) Health
- Author: Brianna Aguayo Villalon
Christian Black joined the Nutrition Policy Institute at the University of California in September 2024 as our 2024-2025 UC Bonnie Reiss Climate Action Fellowship, Sustainable Agriculture and Food Fellow. Black is a graduate student pursuing a Master's in Public Health with a concentration on Community Health at UC Irvine Joe C. Wen School of Population & Public Health, where he utilizes salivary biomarkers and wearable devices to study the relationship between harsh prison environments and health longevity. As an NPI fellow, Black will support efforts to improve food and nutrition security among currently and formerly incarcerated individuals in California. This 10-month fellowship is part of the 2024-2025 UC Bonnie Reiss Climate Action Fellowship Program, formerly known as the UC Global Food Initiative, which supports the UC's climate goals by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and establishing climate programs and policies centered on equity, sustainability, and resiliency. In addition to working with the NPI Farm to Corrections project team, Black will participate in UC systemwide activities.
- Author: Jean Aquino
- Editor: Hannah Thompson
- Editor: Danielle Lee
An article in EdSource by Hannah Thompson of the Nutrition Policy Institute and Rebecca London of the University of California Santa Cruz discussed the impacts of the “Recess for All” law in California schools. The law requires at least 30 minutes of recess in elementary schools and bans taking away recess as punishment. Research in education and child development has found that recess benefits behavioral, mental, and physical health in students. Surveys of students have found that recess is a popular subject statewide. Recess also helped students recover from social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic. It can help students develop interpersonal skills and later focus in the classroom and improve learning. The “Recess for All” law has helped create equity among schools, as students of color and in low-income areas have historically had less recess time. However, the benefits of recess have been underestimated with the rise in standardized testing and decrease in recess and arts during the No Child Left Behind era. Hopefully, with the support of parents and students, the “Recess for All” law can be implemented equally throughout California elementary schools.
- Author: Ricardo Vela
On a sunny morning in San Bernardino, Clara Wilshire, with palpable energy and a warm smile, greets the participants of her nutrition class, part of the EFNEP (Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program) at the University of California Cooperative Extension office.
“Good morning. My name is Clara Wilshire, and I'm from the EFNEP program of the University of California Cooperative Extension,” she says enthusiastically, kicking off the day with a light exercise session that sets the tone for learning about nutrition and healthy habits.
With over 30 years of experience with Cooperative Extension and 24 years dedicated to the adult EFNEP program, Wilshire has devoted her life to teaching the Latino community in San Bernardino about the importance of good nutrition and regular exercise. However, in the early days of her career, connecting with her students was not always easy.
“I knew I had to teach them this nutrition curriculum, but I struggled to connect with the parents,” Clara recalls. “But as my family grew and I became a more experienced mother, it became much easier to give recommendations and share my personal stories with my participants.”
This connection, rooted in personal experiences and a deep understanding of the realities faced by the community she served, has become one of Wilshire's greatest strengths as an educator. Over time, she has witnessed the significant impact her classes have had on the lives of residents in San Bernardino County.
“I've seen an impact,” Wilshire says with a blend of pride and humility. “I've heard stories of people making their food money stretch further or their EBT card lasting longer without having to rely so much on food banks to get through the month. I've also heard people say they started drinking fewer sodas or sugary drinks, and some have even noticed they began losing a bit of weight by making those small changes in their lives.”
But Wilshire's connection to the EFNEP program goes beyond her professional career. She herself had the opportunity to participate in the program as a child, although she didn't make that connection until years later. “My aunt had a nutrition educator who visited her home, and my mother was able to participate in that program. I didn't make the connection until I was on the job. I pulled out an old recipe and recognized the letterhead; it was one of the recipes my mom used to get from the educator.”
With her unwavering commitment to serving the Latino community, Wilshire decided to expand her impact by enrolling in the Master Food Preserver program when she realized there were not enough Spanish-speaking instructors. “Throughout all the years I've been working, I realized that all the classes offered by the Master Food Preserver program had been in English. As I became more interested in food preservation, I thought I had the experience of being an educator. I felt very comfortable speaking in front of people and thought I could do this. I could teach these classes too.”
Wilshire's interest in food preservation is not new; it is deeply rooted in her Latino heritage, in the traditions her mother passed down, like preserving nopalitos, a traditional Mexican dish. This pride in her culture is reflected in her approach to teaching and her participation in Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations.
“Having this time to reflect on our culture, family, history, and food is a moment to be proud of who we are,” Wilshire says. Her words encapsulate the passion and commitment she has demonstrated throughout her career, always striving to empower the Latino community to adopt healthier lifestyles.
Clara Wilshire is more than an educator; she is a tireless advocate for her community. She has dedicated her life to improving the health and well-being of others while honoring and celebrating her Latino heritage. Through her work, she continues to be an inspiration and a shining example of how education and culture can intertwine to create a lasting impact on people's lives.
A 2024 article by Matthew Yoshimoto of The Daily Californian discussed Berkeley's 2014 soda tax, and its presence on the ballot in November 2024. Since its implementation, the soda tax, a 1-cent-per-ounce excise tax on sugar-sweetened beverages, has had drastic impacts on community health. By 2017, consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages decreased by over 50% and water consumption increased by almost 30%. The revenue has funded efforts to improve the nutrition environment in the low-income and minority communities hardest hit by the sugary drinks. NPI's Ken Hecht highlighted that health in Black and Latine communities has especially benefited from the soda tax's direct and indirect effects. The soda tax has also helped in the efforts to combat childhood obesity. According to a study by Kaiser Permanente, cities where the tax is implemented did not show an increase in childhood obesity rates while rates are increasing elsewhere. Berkeley's change has had a positive ripple effect, with cities including Oakland and San Francisco following with their own taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages. Though the soda tax has had overwhelming support from voters, due to push back from soda companies there are new legislative barriers concerning the tax. While a tax increase is currently not an option for Berkeley, there is hope that in November 2024, voters will consider the positive effects of the soda tax and support its indefinite renewal.
Nobody wants cockroaches in their home, especially since these pests can cause and worsen allergies in children, transmit diseases and bacteria, and contaminate foods.
If you find cockroaches in or around your home, do you reach for a do-it-yourself spray product? Well, you might not want to waste your money!
New research shows that some common consumer-grade insecticide sprays don't work to get rid of cockroach infestations. The study focused on products containing pyrethroids, which is a group of pesticides commonly found in many household insecticide products. Examples of pyrethroids include the active ingredients bifenthrin, cypermethrin, and permethrin.
In the study, both liquid and aerosol pyrethroid products killed less than 20% of German cockroaches on sprayed surfaces. Even when cockroaches were confined to the sprayed surfaces, most products took 8 to 24 hours to kill them, with some taking up to 5 days.
Research has also shown that frequent use of pyrethroid insecticides for cockroach management had caused the insects to develop resistance to these products.
So, what can you do to effectively control cockroaches?
Identifying the species present is important since some cockroaches live and breed indoors, while others live and breed outdoors. Knowing which cockroach species you have will allow you to focus control efforts on the correct location, using methods that are effective for managing that specific type of cockroach.
Pesticides alone will not solve a cockroach problem. Use pesticides indoors only if the cockroach population is reproducing and living in your home, not for the occasional intruder. Use insecticide bait products in combination with other non-chemical control methods, such as exclusion and sanitation.
Hiring a professional pest control service that takes an IPM approach can be helpful in reducing serious indoor cockroach infestations but can be also be expensive. Professionals have the tools, experience, and knowledge to better address serious pest issues. Infestations in multi-unit housing, such as apartment complexes, can be especially difficult to control and often requires a community-wide effort.
For more detailed management information, see the Pest Notes: Cockroaches.
[Adapted from an article published by the Entomological Society of America on August 14, 2024.]
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