Jun 04
In the U.S. education system, education and child nutrition are closely tied. Many families and students depend on school meals to not go hungry and help meet nutritional needs. Especially in areas of high poverty with high proportions of students of color, school meals help to address inequity in food security. With the onset of the pandemic, …
May 31
Food, and the consumption of it, bridges the divide between the “biological” and “cultural” spheres of human behavior. While food consumption is necessary for survival, the preparation and selection of certain ingredients are heavily influenced by culture and social upbringing. Past these collective meanings of food, we also have individual psychological memories associated with food—both …
May 26
The narrative that the coronavirus does not discriminate based on race, gender, or class is a false concept that needs to be addressed. While in theory, yes, the coronavirus does not discriminate, our systems do. A year into the pandemic, the coronavirus has deepened the consequences of pre-existing inequalities that are placed on BIPOC (Black, …
May 03
May is National Mental Health Month. This month is set aside to help raise awareness regarding mental health concerns. As we approach the halfway mark of 2021, the world is continuing its efforts to recover from the enormously stressful, bleak, and traumatizing impacts of 2020. People are coping with the continued threat of COVID-19 and …
Oct 06
I was 28 when I heard the words that changed my world forever. “You have breast cancer.” At the time I was working full time, finishing my graduate degree, and living a healthy life. My diagnosis completely knocked my life into a new reality that was dark and frightening. I did not look or feel sick, …
Dec 07
I was a junior in high school and 17 years old when I first heard the term anemia. In California, where I live you have to be at least 110 pounds to give blood, I finally got to that weight and was energized to give blood and give back to the community. So the blood …
Aug 23
Health is a basic human right. Health equity, by definition, is providing every person with the same opportunity to stay healthy, regardless of their race, gender, age, economic conditions, social status, environment, and other social determined factors. It’s a huge goal that people everywhere are working for. Health Equity Initiative (HEI) is a nonprofit organization …
Aug 02
Climate change is always a controversial topic. People and politicians continue to debate the existence of this phenomenon and the effects it might having on our planet. It always seems like something distant and abstract. Most scientist however are pretty certain that climate change is happening, and recently expressing more and more concern about its …
Jul 19
Have you ever seen a Coca-Cola commercial? No, I mean really seen one. What are they selling? A refreshing beverage? Hardly. Coca-Cola sells happiness. Proof is provided by the closing image of the commercial below (“open happiness”). And this message is almost anywhere you look. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ts_4vOUDImE If you just watched the above commercial, you might …
Jul 12
If you’re a public student, or you read, hear, talk or even just care about public health you’ve most likely come across the term “multisectoral”. It’s thrown around a lot when discussing things like community and population health or health disparities. But what does multisectoral mean? And why is it so important to the public …
