Colorful Plates, Healthy Futures

The MyPlate website meal guidelines are used as a reference within the Eat,Play,Go! program at the California State University, Long Beach Center for Latino Community Health, Evaluation, and Leadership Training. Graphic Credit: MyPlate.Gov

A small cup and plate labeled with food groups that are divided into five colors—blue, red, orange, green and purple—glimmer from within the glass display case of the hallway that leads to the California State University, Long Beach Center for Latino Community Health, Evaluation, and Leadership Training.

Established in 2005, the center is committed to promoting and advocating for the health and well-being of the Latino community. Through government grant funds and private donors, the center is able to develop programs and studies with the intention of increasing access to health education and initiatives that can create a helpful impact, such as through a program called Eat, Play, Go!

“One of the things that we heavily emphasize in the program in terms of nutrition is the MyPlate guideline,” said Daniel Perez, a research intern for the Eat, Play, Go! study. “There's very specific guidelines for kids from 10 to 13, which is like our primary focus within the study.”

Based on the MyPlate food sections: fruits are shaded in red, vegetables in green, grain in orange, protein in purple and dairy as blue. Introduced in 2020, the goal of Eat, Play, Go! is to address the prevalence of overweight and obesity among Latino youth.

“Latino children from the ages of 10 to 13 are at highest risk amongst any other demographic of being diagnosed with obesity, type 2 diabetes, specifically hypertension,” Perez said.

The program study also focuses on helping Latino families and youth in the Long Beach area improve their nutrition literacy and eating patterns to live a healthier lifestyle.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the prevalence of obesity among children aged 2 to 19 was highest in Hispanic children at 26.2%.

The curriculum is implemented utilizing obesity prevention research, intervention activities and booster sessions. Generally, the team recruits participants for the study by engaging in outreach efforts that involve tabling for city and community events, door-to-door knocking and attending recreational outings.

“Part of the research is that we collect data from the families who are participating,” said Patricia Trinidad, program manager for the Eat, Play, Go! study. “One of the major outcomes that you would look at when you're doing obesity research is BMI. So we measure BMI before they enter the program and after they finish the program, and then three months later.”

Prior to collecting data, a pre-assessment and survey are conducted in order to gain a clear understanding of the participants’ knowledge about nutrition and physical activities. Then, an accelerometer is used to track sleep patterns and active performance levels.

After a week, four health education classes and sessions take place, followed by a post-phase in which participants review the teachings. In the last session, participants are asked to establish an attainable goal and then regroup after four weeks before a scheduled booster call.

“We give them very specific reasoning as to why goals are important, and then we'll discuss nutrition specifically. [We] reinforce the learning and see what they retained,” Perez said.

“A month after we complete the second booster call and the final assessment point is what we call a three-month follow-up. We administer surveys, the accelerometer and then they'll maintain that for the week to assess their physical activity levels and sleeping patterns.”

Once the study is complete, the team will be able to write a report on its effectiveness in addressing obesity in Latino youth and to disseminate these findings to the community and stakeholders.

“I've noticed that by talking with the little kids themselves, they feel more energized or empowered to actually take care of their health. I feel like when you're young, you don't really know what taking care of your health even means,” said Nancy Tovar, a data collection intern for the Eat, Play, Go! study.

“So through the classes that we provide them are just information that we can give parents. A lot of them have started to open this new world of health that they never really knew about, especially because public schools sometimes don't think it's important at a young age to cover that type of material.”

For those unable to participate in the study, the team encourages individuals to maintain a consistent exercise routine and to visit the MyPlate website provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to learn more about measuring food portions, how to read nutrition labels and discover resources for free.

“If you’re looking to make a change, maybe encourage your family to make that same change as well,” Perez said. “Ultimately, we're here to support them and see them grow to live meaningful, impactful, healthy lives.”