I remember as a child I couldn't wait to grow up so I could stay up past 9 pm, drive myself to the mall or the movies, and eat whatever I wanted. I never thought that as I grew up so would my parents, and as they aged that they might begin to fade as well.  

Now, in my 40s, I have had to face the death of my mom from cancer, my father’s revelation that he has Parkinson’s, and the fact that some of my friends’ parents are also ill. It is because of this and them that we all must live healthier lives so that we can leave a healthy legacy for our children.

Recently, the father of a longtime family friend was diagnosed with Alzheimer's, which affects the brain and causes a person’s memory, thinking, and reasoning skills to deteriorate. Below is the story she shared on her blog about facing the fact that her father is fading fast.

Latinos should be concerned with this epidemic for the reason that, while overweight and obesity are prevalent in the US., almost 55% of the population is obese.

In the United States, we’re fortunate to have a relatively low incidence of cervical cancer. We have the medical technology and methodologies to screen patients for cervical cancer and even prevent it through human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccinations and early detection of pre-cancerous states. Even so, cervical cancer rates could be even lower, especially in the Hispanic population where it still presents a serious problem. According to the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health: “The incidence of cervical cancer for Latina women in the United States is almost twice as high as non-Latina white women” and “Latina women have the 2nd highest mortality rate from cervical cancer.”

Most of the participants found out about their high cholesterol levels while getting assessed for high blood pressure, diabetes and other diseases that are linked to heart disease and stroke.

In the largest study to date of hearing loss among Hispanic/Latino adults in the United States, researchers have found that nearly 1 in 7 has hearing loss, a number similar to the general population prevalence.