The San Joaquin Valley’s Latino population is experiencing obesity rates that significantly exceed non-Latinos among both adults and children – a disparity that carries with it broader health implications for a demographic that represents more than half of the region’s population.
Officials with the California Health Care Foundation issued a report in September that points out a wide range of data insights into Latino health, and bemoaned the myriad challenges faced by the state’s Latinos compared to the rest of the population.
Those challenges not only include significant disparities in a number of physical health conditions including diabetes, but also greater reliance among Latinos upon Med-Cal, the state’s version of the federal Medicaid program for low-income residents; a shortage of Latino health care providers; and more restrictive federal policies that they say disproportionately affect the Latino community…