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Although Americans are bombarded with the idea that we live in a "colorblind society," this article argues that the issue of race is still very pervasive in American society. This article highlights how African Americans are perceived by mainstream society and its effect on the overall mental, physical and emotional health of African Americans and their families. Historically, African Americans have been viewed as naturally deficient and pathological. The Moynihan report, Bill Moyers' awardwinning piece "The Vanishing Black Family," and other works contribute to the subjugation of African Americans. Few studies have examined how the legacy of slavery and continual institutional racism impact African Americans. The theory of mundane, extreme, environmental stress (MEES) offers this perspective. It describes the unique stress of African Americans who experience the dilemma of "being Black in White America." In addition, the MEES factor offers a fresh perspective to examining strategies to help African Americans manage and negotiate the system. The article concludes by calling for the creation of a new paradigm for policy creation and scholastic research that would include acknowledging the extreme stressors facing African Americans.

El Salvador is in a nutrition transition. In the past 20 years, stunting rates have declined by 25 percent in young children, while overweight and obesity have reached epidemic proportions, affecting about 60 percent of reproductive-age (15 to 49 years) women and increasing among children under five. To accelerate the progress in reducing stunting, anemia, and other micronutrient deficiencies, the government launched several interventions over the last three decades. This included mandatory fortification of staple foods, distribution of micronutrient supplements to all children, and distribution of fortified-blended foods (FBFs) in most municipalities. The implementation of programs such as these should be considered only after an analysis has been made of the target population's nutritional needs; the context surrounding the program; and the availability, affordability, effectiveness, and acceptability of the intervention (de Pee and Bloem 2009; PAHO 2003). The aim of this paper is to discuss the effect and potential risks of distributing Super Cereal Plus (SC+) to the general population of children under two in the current epidemiological context of El Salvador. Evidence is unclear about the impact of fortified-blended foods, such as SC+, in preventing stunting. In El Salvador, there are concerns about children's energy intake being a contributing factor to obesity. Furthermore, the micronutrient intake of young children through the interventions mentioned above may be excessive and potentially harmful.

Becoming Breastfeeding Friendly (BBF) is an initiative designed to help countries assess their readiness to scale‐up breastfeeding programs and develop key recommendations to strengthen their breastfeeding environment. In 2016, Ghana was one of two countries to first pilot BBF. In applying BBF, a committee of 15 Ghanaian nutrition, health, and breastfeeding experts implemented the BBF toolbox over 8 months. Following implementation, semistructured interviews were conducted with 12 committee members (CMs) to (a) identify facilitators and barriers to implement BBF and (b) determine factors needed to strengthen the breastfeeding environment in Ghana. Using a grounded theory approach, five domains were identified. First, a dynamic committee of key stakeholders drove the implementation of BBF. Second, CMs faced some logistical and methodological challenges, including difficulty accessing data and the need for strong in‐country technical support for adhering to the BBF process. Third, CMs felt well positioned to facilitate and lead the dissemination and implementation of recommendations. Fourth, accountability would be essential to properly translate recommendations. Fifth, to move recommendations to action, advocacy would be a required first step, and BBF was proposed to facilitate this step. BBF provided an in‐depth analysis of Ghana's current breastfeeding environment to help Ghana strengthen its breastfeeding governance, policies, and programs while informing CMs' government and non‐governmental organizations' breastfeeding efforts.