The National Cinco de Mayo Festival Slated to Help Thousands
The Return to the Nation's Capital
Originally Published in the Spring 2014 LULAC News Magazine
By: Declan Kingland, LULAC Health Programs Coordinator
Thanks to the ongoing support from the Walmart Foundation, LULAC is once again bringing the National Cinco de Mayo Festival to the District of Columbia. Previously held in Los Angeles, California; and San Juan, Puerto Rico, this festival is set to once again bring health resources and raise awareness about the importance of incorporating healthy nutrition and physical fitness into everyday routines.
Startling Contrasts in the City’s Health Profile
Washington, D.C. can serve as the nation’s role model for healthy living. The city ranks first in the nation for the highest percent of residents who eat five or more fruits and vegetables a day. The district also ranks among states, boasting the best record for several measures of preventative care. D.C. leads the nation in the percentage of inhabitants who have had a recent cholesterol screening and ranks among states with the highest percentages of residents that have had a recent routine check-up or other preventative screening.
Though the city has a positive track record on some fronts, there are other, equally critical health needs. Residents in D.C. have among the highest death rates due to heart disease, diabetes, and colorectal cancer in the nation, for example. In fact, statistics worsen when comparing minority health to non-minority. The rates of these illnesses are especially concerning for the Latino community because they fall within the top ten causes of Latino deaths – with heart disease as leading cause, followed by cancer.
Although diabetes is the sixth leading cause of death for the Latino community, according to a recent Robert Wood Johnson Foundation survey, it is the biggest health concern for the Latino community nationwide. Preventable risk factors that are heavily associated with these diseases, including high blood pressure, physical inactivity, and obesity, occur at rates that are approximately two, three, and four times higher respectively in the minority population in comparison to the white population.
Nearly 13% of all households in the District were found to be food insecure between 2009 and 2011, with 4% having “very low food security,” meaning they are experiencing intense hunger and consistently have to cut back or skip meal. Worse, nearly 40% of households with children in the District of Columbia said they were unable to afford enough food. This is the worst rate in the country.
D.C.’s 4th, 7th and 8th Wards are overwhelmingly comprised of minorities, which have the District’s highest poverty rates and the highest obesity rates. These obesity rates are influenced by the fact that these two wards have the largest food desert, areas with little or no access to the foods needed to maintain a healthy diet. People living in food deserts often have to rely on fast food, which are inexpensive, as meals. Of the District’s 43 full-service grocery stores, only two are located in Ward 4, four in Ward 7, and three in Ward 8. Ward 3 however, D.C.’s highest-income Ward, has eleven full-service grocery stores.
These food deserts are especially concerning for the Latino community as more than 40% of Latino children and adolescents are overweight and nearly 23 percent are obese. The dangers of childhood obesity extend far into adult life. Excess body weight in children dramatically increases the risk of developing heart disease in adulthood and leads to excess fat in their livers, which can contribute to the development of many chronic illnesses.
Bringing full-service grocery stores to food deserts is not enough; steps must be taken to address the years, and sometimes even generations, of poor nutritional habits. An alarming amount of people in low-income communities cannot afford healthier food options and lack knowledge about nutritious foods and nutritious eating habits, and what’s worse: those bad eating habits are shared with and cemented in the minds of the next generation with every meal.
About the Feria
LULAC’s Ferias de Salud seek to draw attention to these health disparities and provide the information and resources necessary to reverse the trends. Through the Latinos Living Healthy Ferias de Salud, LULAC motivates families to become more physically active and make healthier life choices in an effort to fight the obesity epidemic and address other health disparities faced by Latinos nationwide. The free mobile clinics on site that provide health screenings and other health services such as flu vaccinations, diabetes testing, cholesterol screenings and blood donations help address the needs of individuals who don’t have health insurance, even after the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. Exhibitors explore nontraditional options for obtaining healthy foods in food deserts, including community supported agriculture and farm-share delivery service. Informational resources – such as healthy cooking recipes, and enrollment requirements for assistance programs such as Women, Infants and Children (WIC) and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) also known as Food Stamps – empower families to make healthier food choices, and help provide the resources to make those choices sustainable. Furthermore, performances by the Maru Montero Dance Company will help provide the fun and festive atmosphere that makes our health festivals the talk of the Latino community.
Our message is simple: it is important for everyone to take the steps necessary to lead a healthier life, and there are many small changes you can take every day that will add up to big changes overall. Come to this year’s National Cinco de Mayo Feria de Salud to help share in our rich Latino heritage and help spread our message that taking command of your health is not only important but also easy.