According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, childhood obesity has significantly increased over the past two decades. The public health agency reports that in 2006:
According to the National Healthy Babies, Healthy Mothers Coalition, "more than 500,000 babies in the U.S. are born prematurely and nearly 28,000 children die before" they reach their first birthday. A number of these premature births and early deaths occur among women who are poor and have little access to adequate pre/post-natal services and education.
High blood pressure is a silent, deadly, and frankly, unsexy disease. Millions of Americans have the condition, but few pay significant attention to the disease or are aware of its many risk factors. In an effort to attract renewed attention to high blood pressure, the American Heart Association launched a new educational initiative featuring a obnoxious cartoon character named Hiram "Hi" B. Presher.
In 2007, the Colorado Health Institute reported that more than one-third of Colorado Hispanics do not have health insurance coverage. Additionally, rising unemployment in Colorado and the subsequent loss of employer-provided coverage has disproportionately impacted the Hispanic population.