The Arizona WIC Program is continuing to support our communities during the COVID-19 outbreak. WIC staff are dedicated to helping make sure that mothers and young children have access to healthy foods, breastfeeding support, and are getting accurate information and appropriate recommendations during this public health situation. The Arizona WIC Program is open and available [...]
A new report was released by the Trust for America's Health (TFAH) that shows 29.5 percent of Arizona adults are obese, ranking our state 34th in the 50 United States and the District of Columbia. We are tied with Alaska and Nevada at that ranking. Nine states have adult obesity rates above 35 percent in [...]
The Arizona WIC program provides healthy foods, nutrition education, breastfeeding support, and connections to community services for income-eligible women who are pregnant and postpartum, infants, and children up to five years old. Arizona WIC is a federally- funded supplemental nutrition and education program that serves almost 135,000 women, infants, and children each month with services [...]
One in three children in the United States are overweight or obese. Childhood obesity puts kids at risk for health problems that were once seen only in adults, like type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease. The good news is that childhood obesity can be prevented. In recognition of National Childhood Obesity Awareness [...]
Did you know there are more than 80 farmer’s markets in Arizona? We are celebrating National Farmers Market Week from August 6-12, 2017. Farmers markets support healthy communities by increasing access to nutritious food, stimulating local economies, and preserving farmland and rural livelihoods. The Arizona Nutrition Network has launched a new interactive map to make [...]
Note: This week is National Public Health Week. This week I have a five-part public health series that explores the vast network of programs and services that help improve the health and wellness of all Arizonans. We have several public awareness campaigns and resources that help Arizonans in making decisions that positively affect their health. [...]
Today we're celebrating International Board Certified Lactation Consultants Day and recognizing the important role the consultants have to improve the lives of breastfeeding families. International Board Certified Lactation Consultants are healthcare professionals who specialize in the clinical management of breastfeeding and work in a wide variety of settings, including the Arizona WIC Program. When a [...]
The supplemental nutrition program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) is the nation’s most successful and cost-effective public health nutrition program. The Arizona WIC Program provides free healthy foods, nutrition education, breastfeeding services, and community referrals for income-eligible women who are pregnant or postpartum, infants, and children up to five years old. WIC connects moms [...]
Supporting breastfeeding mothers and babies is an important part of the Arizona Department of Health Services efforts to decrease childhood obesity. The United States Preventive Services Task Force has just updated their recommendations for primary care providers to include breastfeeding support during pregnancy and after birth. Evidence shows that these steps can increase the duration [...]
September is National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month and I am pleased to announce that we’ve seen the number of overweight or obese children decrease among our preschool children in the Arizona WIC Program from one in three to one in four. Back in 2008, 29.4 percent of preschoolers in the Arizona WIC Program were either [...]
