Friday Roundup

Here is a listing of articles published in the last 7-10 days that may be of interest:

Health
1. Little change in U.S. obesity rates in recent years; Reuters.com, January 17, 2012
Brief Introduction: Government researchers found that in 2009 and 2010, about one in three adults and one in six kids and teens were obese. The rates represent no change from 2007 and 2008 figures, and only a slight increase among specific demographics over rates from the late 1990s and early 2000s.

2. Detroit Residents' stress still higher than healthy; The Sacramento Bee, January 11, 2012
Brief Introduction: Although reported stress levels have dipped in Detroit since last year, Detroit residents still experience high stress levels, reporting an average stress level of 5.2 on a 10-point scale. This stress level is higher than what they considered healthy (3.6 on a 10-point scale). Even with lowered reported stress levels, 75 percent of Detroit residents report that the economy is a significant cause of stress. And 73 percent said work is a significant cause of stress. And more than one-third (38 percent) said they are dissatisfied with their work, a number that is substantially greater than reported by Americans nationally (25 percent).

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/01/11/4179962/detroit-residents-stress-still.html#storylink=cpy

Education
1. AP interview: Winfrey celebrates 1st graduates; Boston.com, January 13, 2012
Brief Introduction: Winfrey spoke Friday on the eve of the first graduation at her school. Of the 75 students who started at the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in 2007, 72 who will graduate Saturday. All are headed to universities in South Africa and the United States to pursue such studies as medicine, law, engineering and economics.

2. Black students in Jefferson Parish unfairly arrested, complaint says; Nola.com, January 11, 2012
Brief Introduction: A complaint filed Wednesday on behalf of four Jefferson Parish public school students and their families accuses the school system of unfairly subjecting African American students to arrests and seizures. The Southern Poverty Law Center filed the 20-page complaint with the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights.

3. Arizona governor wants searchable teacher-discipline database; Education Week, January 10, 2011
Brief Introduction: Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer says she wants to encourage greater involvement by parents in their children's education, and evidently that includes giving parents easy access to teachers' disciplinary records. The Republican governor proposed creating "searchable database" for parents" that would allow them to research the licensing background and disciplinary actions teachers have faced. She also says she wants to change the process through which teachers can be decertified.

Race
1. For many Latinos, race is more culture than color; The New York Times, January 13, 2012
Brief Introduction: More than 18 million Latinos checked this “other” box in the 2010 census, up from 14.9 million in 2000. It was an indicator of the sharp disconnect between how Latinos view themselves and how the government wants to count them. Many Latinos argue that the country’s race categories — indeed, the government’s very conception of identity — do not fit them.

2. Latino families battling childhood obesity; Minnesota Public Radio, January 16, 2011
Brief Introduction: Samantha is among the millions of Latino children who weigh too much. In urban and rural areas across the United States, Latino children are more likely than their non-Latino white peers to be overweight or obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Nearly 40 percent of Latino children in the United States are overweight or obese.