1	Escape São Paulo sizzles after dark. read more...
2	Fashion A fresh approach to fashion and style. read more...
3	Driver’s Seat Utility and versatility in two new crossovers. read more...
4	Salud The latest research on health and Hispanics. read more...

DEpartments • salud

eye on hispanic health

Flu Shield
Although the flu hasn’t made headlines in recent days, the season isn’t over yet. In fact, the flu season can hit its peak in February and March. If you got a flu shot this past winter or fall, the good news is that you are still protected into the spring. But if you didn’t, it is not too late to get immunized. To find immunization locations or to learn more log onto the American Lung Association’s website at www.facesofinfluenza.com

Kids and Cholesterol
High cholesterol isn’t just a problem relegated to adults. A new study from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 20 percent of U.S. children and teens have abnormal lipid levels, an indication of having excessive LDL (or bad) cholesterol, and too little HDL (or good) cholesterol. Abnormal levels of cholesterol can increase the risk of heart disease and other health issues later in life. The study, which examined the lipid levels of more than 3,000 youths between the ages of 12 and 19 and found that overweight or obese kids in particular were more likely to have abnormal lipid levels than their average weight peers.
Doing something about it may not be as hard as it sounds. A separate study reported by the American Academy of Pediatrics noted that preschool children exposed to three household routines—regularly eating family meals together, getting adequate sleep, and limits on screen-viewing time—had a roughly 40 percent lower rates of obesity than kids whose parents did not have enforce such routines.

The Game of Life
Learning to manage diabetes can seem overwhelming to those newly diagnosed. In hopes of helping Hispanics to make sense of it all, brother and sister team Rudy and Martha Barroso created Future Focus, a board game that teaches about nutrition, blood sugar levels, the important differences between Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes, and more. The enterprising young people have also hosted a TV show called Exploring Diabetes, which can be seen on their website
www.futurefocus.com