Obesity Discussion Forums

[Obesity Discussion]

http://www.tdh.state.tx.us/sshp/sshp.htm

The Epidemic
63% of Texas adults are overweight or obese. (CDC BRFSS, 2002)
22% of non-Hispanic white adults, 42% of non-Hispanic black adults, and 30% of Hispanic adults in Texas are obese. (CDC BRFSS, 2002)
30% of Texas high school students are overweight or at risk of becoming overweight. (CDC YRBSS, 2003)
The obesity rate among Texas adults increased by 100% between 1990 and 2002. (CDC BRFSS, 1990, 2002)

Program Priorities
Develop and foster strong statewide networks and collaborations, both internal and external.
Promote breastfeeding as the nourishment of choice for Texas babies.
Promote calorie balance and regular physical activity as the choice method of weight control.
Promote awareness of obesity as a public health issue.
Mobilize communities, schools, and families to create opportunities to choose lifestyles that promote healthy weight.
Promote policies and environmental changes that support healthful eating habits and physical activity.
Monitor obesity rates and related behaviors and health conditions for planning, evaluation, and dissemination activities.
Target health-disparate populations in obesity prevention efforts.

Partners
City of Corpus Christi Parks and Recreation Department
Crossroads Health Coalition
Fort Stockton Parks and Recreation Department
Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness
Healthier Fort Bend County Coalition
Produce for Better Health
Tarleton State University
Tem-Bel Health and Wellness Coalition (Temple-Belton)
Texas A&M University, School of Rural Public Health
Texas Action for Healthy Kids Alliance
Texas Cooperative Extension
Texas Department of Agriculture
Texas Department of Health, Minority Health Program
Texas Department of Health, Nutrition and Physical Activity Work Group (NUPAWG)
Texas Department of Health, Office of Border Health
Texas Department of Health, WIC program
Texas Department of Human Services
Texas Migrant Council
Texas School Health Association
Texas State Strategic Health Partnership
Trans Texas Alliance
University of North Texas Health Science Center
The University of Texas at Austin
University of Texas School of Public Health

Recent Accomplishments and Products
Increased use of walking trails and improved attitudes about walking and biking for physical activity were observed in ten communities following an intervention to improve or develop a community trail and promote its use through community walking programs, educational materials/trail maps, or other special outreach events in order to increase physical activity.
Two communities (one urban and one rural) were identified and funded for the first year of a 5-year, multi-level intervention and evaluation.
A Pedestrian Safety "Train the Trainer" work shop for regional nutritionists, interested central office staff, and local health department staff (in collaboration with the Trans Texas Alliance).
Regional Nutritionists actively promote the current Strategic Plan for the Prevention of Obesity in Texas, provide technical support to local coalitions to develop their community plans to prevent obesity, including recommending evaluation methods for interventions and provide technical support to local partners.
A work group was formed to help with the implementation of the Strategic Plan to Prevent Obesity in Texas. This work group is one of 12 workgroups referred to as the Texas Strategic Health Partnership.

Upcoming Events and Products
Creation of a statewide fruit and vegetable promotion network.
Providing skill-building workshops for local health coalitions to implement obesity prevention strategies.
Development of a nutrition and physical activity Web site
• Publication of a comprehensive implementation guide for the Strategic Plan for the Prevention of Obesity in Texas.
Conduct of Targeted Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) surveys in two funded intervention communities.

Project Period: 2003–2008
Year First Funded: 2000
Funding Stage: Capacity Building
Contact Person:
Kimberley A. Sasser, RD, LD
Public Health Nutrition Coordinator
Texas Department of Health
Telephone: 512-458-7111 ext. 2126
Fax: 512-458-7446
E-mail: kim.sasser@tdh.state.tx.us
Web site: http://www.tdh.state.tx.us/sshp/sshp.htm*


Data Sources
CDC BRFSS — CDC’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System
CDC PedNSS — CDC’s Pediatric Nutrition Surveillance System
CDC YRBSS — CDC’s Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System

http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/obes...rams/texas.htm

[Obesity Discussion]

Coalition seeking money for diabetes, obesity research
y MELISSA McEVER
The Brownsville Herald

A recently formed coalition of Rio Grande Valley universities has promised $1 million in grants to Valley-based researchers who investigate diabetes, obesity and the region’s nursing shortage.

The Borderplex Health Council, an alliance of the region’s University of Texas campuses, is requesting proposals from researchers for projects that will address the Valley’s most persistent health problems, officials said this week.

The winning projects will receive grants ranging from $25,000 to $50,000, for a total of $1 million.



“The goal of these dollars is to bring different disciplines together to study these problems,� said Dr. Leonel Vela, regional dean for the Regional Academic Health Center, which is part of the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.

“They can look at it from all potential angles,� from sociology to genetics, he said.

The research projects will have to be collaborative, involving at least two of the participating universities, Vela said.

Members of the Borderplex Health Council include the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio and its RAHC campuses, the University of Texas-Pan American, the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston/School of Public Health and the University of Texas at Brownsville.

Collaboration among the universities will help maximize research efforts and resources, Juliet Garcia, president of UT-Brownsville and chair of the council, said in a statement.

Researchers can be from any of the council’s universities or from other South Texas educational or scientific institutions. Investigators must conduct their research in the Valley, Vela said.

The deadline for the first round of research proposals is Oct. 7.

Each university will contribute a portion of its funds to the grant program, officials said.

Article

[Obesity Discussion]

Clinic Helping Fight Against Childhood Obesity

Seema Mathur
Reporting

(CBS 42) AUSTIN Texas has the highest obesity rates of kids in the nation and that is leading to early health problems.

Health experts say as obesity rates increase, they are seeing a disturbing number of kids with Type 2 diabetes. That's why People's Community Clinic is trying to target families who are at risk.

Olalde, 11, was recently told he has negative cholesterol levels. His mom doesn't want it to get any worse.

That's why she went to the community clinic. There the family sees how cholesterol and fats affect blood flow.

“Then I’m not going to have any energy to run or play,� Olalde said.

Olalde and his mom learn about portion sizes. Dietitians say big meals, fast food and lack of exercise are some of the reasons why 35-percent of Texas kids are overweight.

“The children are developing diabetes at younger ages 10, 11, 12, even younger that,� said Susie Jastrow, a dietitian with the People’s Community Clinic.

To prevent obesity linked diabetes, Olalde learns to limit sodas and is surprised to learn how much sugar is in one drink

He has been eating fruits and veggies for the past month.

His mom says the transition was easier and cheaper than she thought.

An interesting part of the program is sitting in on the session is a food psychologist, she works to identify and build on how the family wants to change.

Health experts say it's really important that families take control of this early to prevent a host of health problems like diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure that can result from obesity.

Childhood Obesity Clinic

[Obesity Discussion]

Obesity fight with CATCH program by BISD


By VICTORIA MANNING — The Brownsville Herald
March 4, 2007 - 12:33AM


While many young schoolchildren dislike Mondays — getting back to the grind of reading, arithmetic and other subjects — fifth-grader Ellis Chonka is different.

The Ortiz Elementary student looks forward to the first school day of the week because of its Mile Club Monday. During gym, he and all the other children in his class get awarded based on how far they run.

“We have a card, and for every 20 feet we run, we get a hole punched in it,” he said. “When we fill up the card, we get five dollars in CATCH bucks.”

Chonka said he has earned around $30 in CATCH — Coordinated Approach to Child Health — bucks throughout the year and is hoping to buy a water bottle at the end of year.

Numerous studies from both governmental and educational organi-zations have noted an alarming rise in childhood obesity nationwide. This has warranted a need to revamp physical and nutritional educa-tion among schools.

Brownsville Independent School District has attempted answered the call through the CATCH program.

The CATCH program traces back to the late 1980s as a research project between four different universities across the country. The University of California at San Diego, University of Minnesota, Tulane University and the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston researched ways to develop a program geared towards elementary students to educate them about the risk factors of cardio-vascular disease.

“The CATCH program is about making choices for healthy eating,” said Liz Avitia, who heads the BISD’s CATCH program.

The program began at BISD in August 2003 when the district re-ceived a grant from the University of Texas Health and Science cen-ter to create a pilot program in five elementary schools. Russell, Hudson, Garza, Ortiz and Sharp Elementary were the first schools in Brownsville to test the program.

Avitia called it an “across the board success” among the pilot schools, so BISD decided to launch the program in every school in the district.

“We decided to implement it because it is now a law. The Texas Education Agency sent out an announcement stating that we needed to implement it by 2007,” Avitia said.

The Texas Legislature passed Senate Bill 19 in May 2001 mandating that all public schools must provide a coordinated school health and physical activity program geared toward reducing the risk of obesity, cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes by September 2007.

The CATCH program is recognized by the Texas State Board of Education as elementary school diabetes curriculum.

Avitia said the goal of the CATCH program is to see children mak-ing better choices in the cafeteria lunch line through weekly health education and to become actively engaged in physical activity.

“We want moderate to vigorous activity and the kids more actively involved in physical education so they don’t sit and wait for their turn,” Avitia said.

Avitia said they wanted to see a collaboration between the cafeteria, gym, and classroom in order to keep the children mindful of their choices.

In the classroom, children are taught recipes for healthy eating and ways to eliminate unhealthy foods. They are encouraged to take their education home and incorporate it into their family meal.

Ellis Chonka believes that the CATCH program is effective because it has taught him how to make better choices picking food.

“You don’t eat junk food,” he said. “I try to eat the healthy food so I can have more energy.”

Avitia has noticed a change in students’ eating habits.

“I’ve seen that the kids are now paying attention to what they are selecting,” Avitia said.

The CATCH curriculum also informs the children about diabetes prevention and the ills of tobacco use.

Now each school in BISD will have a CATCH team to oversee the program and create awareness on each campus.

“The CATCH team is composed of a cafeteria manager, nurse, counselor, teacher, P.E. teacher, parent liaison, a parent, and a safety coordinator,”Avitia said.

A representative from the CATCH team is selected as the CATCH “champion,” which Avitia says is the “connector between the district and campus CATCH team.”

The teams were taught about the program before the 2006-07 school year began and were trained on state laws, materials the program incorporates.

McAllen and Harlingen are the only other school districts in the Rio Grande Valley executing the CATCH program.


Childhood Obesity