HEAL initiative stakeholders include (left to right) Jaime Arispe, Julie Lara, Roger Perales, M.P.H., RS, Gloria Jackson, Carmen Roman-Shriver, Ph.D., Margaret Lopez, Sister Mary Luisa Vera, R.S.M., Julie Tijerina, Steven Lopez, M.P.P., M.P.H., and Brent Shriver, Ph.D.
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By Rosanne Fohn

Residents of Laredo will have the chance to learn more about good health through three upcoming events that are part of the Healthy Eating Active Living (HEAL) initiative. The initiative is led by faculty members and a fellow at the UT Health Science Center San Antonio’s Regional Campus in Laredo, and a team of dedicated Laredo area community stakeholders.

HEAL Holiday Fitness Festival
The HEAL Holiday Fitness Festival is set for 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 11, at North Central Park, 10202 International Blvd., in Laredo. Participants can enjoy activities such as Frisbee golf, zumba dancing, stationary bicycle riding, and hula hoop and jump rope contests. There will be various sports camps, cheerleading and dance, as well as prize drawings throughout the day. Many volunteers from various community agencies and programs are being organized to ensure the event is a success.

“The fitness festival is a fun way to get people moving, give them ideas of everyday activities they can incorporate into their lives for improved fitness, and raise awareness of the numerous resources for healthy living in Laredo such as North Central Park. This event is truly a collaborative effort and would not have been possible without the support and commitment from numerous community partners,” said Steven Lopez, M.P.P., M.P.H., a fellow based at the Regional Campus. His fellowship is supported by the Hispanic-Serving Health Professions Schools (HSHPS) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Farmers market
On Saturday, Dec. 18, HEAL will once again take part in the third monthly El Centro de Laredo Farmers Market, which features fresh vegetables and fruits, homemade food products, as well as plants and holiday crafts. “This is one of the most important parts of our initiative and one that Laredo is really beginning to enjoy,” said Carmen Roman-Shriver, Ph.D., director of the UT Health Science Center’s Dietetics and Nutrition program.

“This gives people a chance to see and try different vegetables and fruits they might not have considered eating before, and they are very fresh. It also provides an outlet for area farmers and families who grow healthy food. We want to teach the people of Laredo about the benefits of eating more healthily so they can improve their lives," Dr. Roman-Shriver said.

HEAL will have a booth at the farmers market with displays on sugar and fat content in foods, suggested portion sizes and educational information about the complications of being overweight or obese. Brochures featuring healthy tips for eating out and the many physical activity venues in Laredo will also be available at the HEAL booth.

“Our community stakeholders, Health Science Center students and area high school students that participate in our MedEd program will volunteer at this booth during the farmers market to provide nutrition information,” Dr. Roman-Shriver said.

Televised round table discussions coming in January
In January, a series of round table discussions about healthful living will be broadcast on the Laredo public access television station (Channel 3). Topics for the series include Childhood Obesity Prevention; Type II Diabetes on the Border; Healthy Eating; Active Living: Laredo Parks and Recreational Opportunities; and Community Gardens. The series will be moderated by HEAL stakeholders including Sonia Cotto-Moreno, M.P.H., director of the Child Care Food Program for Teaching and Mentoring Communities. According to Cotto-Moreno, “The panel discussions will allow community representatives, such as parents, coaches, physicians and allied health representatives, to share their concerns and research-based strategies to assist viewers in adopting healthy lifestyles.”

Reversing obesity and chronic disease
With obesity considered to be a national epidemic that is more severe in South Texas than in other parts of the U.S., the goal of the HEAL initiative is to improve the health of Laredo residents.

HEAL began in 2009 as Lopez’s fellowship project to assess the feasibility of developing a community initiative based on nutrition, physical activity, and the prevention of obesity and diabetes. Once the feasibility of the initiative was established and community leaders gave their support, Lopez’s fellowship was extended to help lead the initiative, under the day-to-day guidance of Health Science Center faculty members in the Dietetics and Nutrition Program and the South Texas Environmental Education Program (STEER), based at the Regional Campus in Laredo.

Examining the effects of the environment on health
“STEER has been working with the Hispanic-Serving Health Professions Schools U.S.-Mexico Border Health Program since it was created in 2005,” explained Roger Perales, M.P.H., RS, assistant director of STEER. "This unique partnership provides fellows with an increased understanding of public health and environmental health, and with the HEAL initiative, an opportunity to look at nutrition and obesity, two major influences that directly affect the health of U.S.-Mexico border residents."

Employing the best from other successful programs
The HEAL initiative was modeled after many successful programs in cities across the nation and is backed by statistics from the South Texas Health Status Review, a study conducted by the UT Health Science Center’s Institute for Health Promotion Research, that found a higher prevalence of obesity and diabetes in South Texas than in the rest of Texas or the nation.

Data from the Texas Department of State Health Services also indicated that more Laredoans have been diagnosed as diabetic or obese, and more report poor dietary intake and a lack of physical activity, compared to the state population, Dr. Roman-Shriver said.

Community partnership is the key
“We know that reversing the trend toward obesity and overweight is a long-term project, but with all of us in the community working together, we hope eventually to have some measurable results that our program is working,” said Nora Martinez, chief of public health nutrition for the city of Laredo Health Department. “As we have discovered, we have greater success when we work as a team. While the epidemic of obesity is an individual condition, it does not have to be dealt with alone. As a community, we will find a way to bring healthy eating and active living into the busy lives of Laredoans.”

For more information about this citywide initiative, visit the HEAL website at www.laredoheal.org.