Mark Erickson, CMC, (left) from The Culinary Institute of America, visits with Amelie G. Ramirez, Dr.P.H., director of the Institute for Health Promotion Research.
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By Cliff Despres

The second annual “San Antonio Life Sciences Institute Research Forum: Latino Obesity” highlighted innovative strategies and programs from researchers at the UT Health Science Center San Antonio and UT San Antonio (UTSA), as well as community advocates, with the goal of reducing the epidemic of obesity among Texas Latinos.

Nearly 75 percent of Latinos were overweight or obese in Texas as of 2009, State Demographer Lloyd Potter, Ph.D., M.P.H., said at the forum, held May 10, 2011. Dr. Potter is a professor and director of the Texas State Data Center, the state demographer’s office, housed at UTSA.

That’s why officials say that Latino obesity-focused research and programs are so vital.

“The researchers and leaders present at the forum are working at ‘ground zero’ of the Latino obesity epidemic in Texas,” said Amelie Ramirez, Dr.P.H., director of the Health Science Center’s Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR), the team that coordinated the forum with UTSA.

The forum was made possible by the San Antonio Life Science Institute (SALSI), a research collaboration between the Health Science Center and UTSA.

“It’s important to highlight these efforts to gain better knowledge of what works best to encourage healthier lifestyles among Latinos,” said Dr. Ramirez, a professor of epidemiology and biostatistics.

Amelie G. Ramirez, Dr.P.H., (front row, left) stands with UT Health Science Center San Antonio faculty presenters at the SALSI Research Forum. They are (continuing, left to right), Deborah Parra-Medina, Ph.D., professor in the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR); Dan Hale, M.D., professor of pediatrics; Adelita Cantu, Ph.D., R.N., assistant professor of nursing; and Dan Hughes, Ph.D., professor at the IHPR.

Following are videos of some of the presentations from the conference:

Presentations by UT Health Science Center San Antonio researchers:

• Deborah Parra-Medina, Ph.D., M.P.H., professor of epidemiology and biostatistics, discussed her “Be Fit with Friends” project that is testing an intervention to increase physical activity among Latina girls ages 11-14
  
• Dan Hughes, Ph.D., assistant professor of epidemiology and biostatistics, presented information about a randomized, controlled trial testing the effectiveness of comprehensive exercise, yoga exercise and general exercise on cancer survivors
  
• Adelita G. Cantu, Ph.D., RN, assistant professor of nursing, spoke about “Muevete USA,” which trains Latino nurses to steer Hispanic families to health
  
• Dan Hale, M.D., professor of pediatrics, gave a talk about childhood obesity in South Texas

Presentations by UTSA researchers:

• Zenong Yin, Ph.D., Loretta J. Lowak Clarke Distinguished Professor of Health & Kinesiology, discussed an early childhood healthy lifestyles program in day cares
  
• Meizi He, Ph.D., associate professor of health and kinesiology, spoke about educating Latinos on healthy lifestyles via faith-based groups
  
• Lesli Biediger-Friedman, Ph.D., M.P.H., RD, LD, assistant professor of health and kinesiology, presented an evaluation of San Antonio’s restaurant recognition program for healthy menus
  
• Gayle Nicoll, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Architecture, talked about architectural and environmental changes to encourage walking and physical activity

Presentations by San Antonio Community Leaders:

• Maggie Thompson, M.S., spoke on the city of San Antonio’s efforts to encourage healthy lifestyles via its Communities Putting Prevention to Work program, of which she is program manager
  
• Louis Lopez, executive director of the Westside Family YMCA, discussed the organization’s program to respond to obesity-related illnesses
  
• Peter Wald, M.D., M.P.H., vice president and enterprise medical director at USAA, spoke about obesity interventions for young children
  
• Kate Rogers, director of partner communications and culture at H-E-B, presented the company’s multifaceted health-promotion efforts for 2011

Also, Mark Erickson, CMC, vice president and dean of culinary education at the Culinary Institute of America, which has a campus in San Antonio, spoke about culinary-focused research areas, such as culinary ethnography, sensory perception and flavor development, and behavioral economics of food, especially among the Latino populations.

“[Latinos are] a group we’re uniquely interested in because it’s a group at risk,” Erickson said. “It would be so much better for us to be able to address behaviors before they began rather than trying to correct them after they’ve already cemented into habits.”

Find out more information about the forum on the Web at
http://ihpr.uthscsa.edu/curr_proj_salsi_forum.html , or view the full conference report.

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The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, one of the country’s leading health sciences universities, ranks in the top 3 percent of all institutions worldwide receiving U.S. federal funding. Research and other sponsored program activity totaled $228 million in fiscal year 2010. The university’s schools of medicine, nursing, dentistry, health professions and graduate biomedical sciences have produced approximately 26,000 graduates. The $744 million operating budget supports eight campuses in San Antonio, Laredo, Harlingen and Edinburg. For more information on the many ways “We make lives better®,” visit www.uthscsa.edu.

The University of Texas at San Antonio is one of the fastest-growing higher education institutions in Texas and one of nine academic universities and six health institutions in the UT System. As a multicultural institution, UTSA aims to be a national research university providing access to educational excellence and preparing citizen leaders for the global environment. UTSA serves more than 30,300 students in 130 degree programs in the colleges of architecture, business, education and human development, engineering, honors, liberal and fine arts, public policy, sciences and graduate school. Founded in 1969, UTSA is an intellectual and creative resource center and a socioeconomic development catalyst for Texas and beyond.

The Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at the UT Health Science Center San Antonio investigates the causes and solutions to the unequal impact of cancer and chronic disease among Latinos in South Texas and the nation. Founded in 2006, the IHPR is based at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio with a satellite office in Harlingen, Texas. The IHPR uses evidence-guided research, training and community outreach to improve the health of those at a disadvantage. Visit the IHPR online at http://ihpr.uthscsa.edu.