Community Obesity Program

Caryn Alter, MS, RD used this program for her community and over 500 pounds were lost during the program.

TitleCommunity Obesity ProgramIntroThe staff of the Health Awareness Center, the community health division of CentraState Hospital, initiated a community-wide intervention for obesity. The initiative was done in cooperation with the mayor of a nearby town for the residents of his town.BodyOver 300 community members registered for the program, which ran for 10 weeks. Registrants attended weekly nutrition and exercise education sessions, and participated in community walks, supermarket tours, and a cooking demonstration. Weights and blood pressures were tracked by registered nurses throughout the program. There were 105 active participants. The total weight loss for the program was 523 pounds, and almost 62% of the active participants lowered their blood pressure.The program provided two 30-minute education sessions (one in the daytime, one in the evening) each week during the 10-week program. The topics were:

• "Eat Great, Lose Weight"
• "Portion Distortion"
• "Exercise: The Bottom Line"
• "Dining Out Do's and Don'ts"
• "Battle of the Binge"
• "Food Shop Weight Drops"
• "Exercise: Pump Up Your Metabolism"
• "Extreme Meal Makeovers"
• "Food Power"
• "Keep the Ball Rolling"

Printed handouts were provided for the education sessions.Two exercise-themed weekly topics were taught by certified fitness instructors. Six community walks (a trail walk, a family walk, an historic walk, a stroller walk, a senior walk, and a 3-mile walk) were held.Registered dietitians led four supermarket tours, and collaborated with local restaurants to help them earmark the healthy selections on their menus. A cooking demonstration was held at a local high school with its culinary management program. -------Caryn Alter, MS, RDCentraState Medical Center