Child obesity rates still high, but not rising

I recently watched the original Terminator movie with my son (it's a guy thing).  The first time I saw it was in basic training at Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri, in the summer of 1985*.  We weren't allowed to read novels or watch TV during basic training, so the Terminator was the only "culture" I saw that summer.  It's burned into my memory.

If you've seen the movie (what's wrong with the rest of you?!), you'll remember the plot line that the fate of humankind is not sealed--we are not doomed to extinction nor guaranteed prosperity.  In the early 1990's experts warned that, left unchecked, childhood obesity rates could hit 30% by 2030 (a Schwarzenegger-led robot apocalypse notwithstanding).  So does the latest childhood obesity data, showing a flat line of ~17% from 1999-2010, mean that our prevention efforts are failing, or that we're succeeding at altering our destiny?

Going the "extra mile" with CATCH

The Coordinated Approach to Child Health (CATCH) is an innovative school-based program designed to help students eat right, be active and learn healthy habits.  Valerie Phillips at CD Fulkes Middle School went the "extra mile" with a school-wide fun run at the end of the year.  How does your school support healthy living?  Let us know in the comments.

How do you eat an elephant?

Hi, I am Kelli Drenner, a 2009 graduate of the UT School of Public Health and former employ of the MSD Center. I am so glad to be back in Texas after doing a 2-year postdoctoral fellowship at Brown University Institute for Community Health Promotion in Providence, Rhode Island. I really missed Texas – my family, friends, and of course, the FOOD.

Since coming back to Texas, I am greeted with a few phrases that I will talk a little about - “Welcome back… Oh my God, you look GREAT… what did you do?” Did I mention that I have lost 50 pounds? Those who haven’t seen me in 2 years tend to notice that right away.