El Paso County serves as a model for obesity prevention, according to UT School of Public He...(rge regional population said Hoelscher....)

During the past decade the Paso del Norte Health Foundation, has provided extensive funding for several obesity prevention initiatives, including the CATCH (Coordinated Approach To Childhood Health) El Paso program, an evidence-based school health program for elementary and middle school students; Walk El Paso, which encourages residents to adopt walking as a fun and safe form of exercise; and Qu Sabrosa Vida, a UT School of Public Health program that promotes healthy nutrition and physical activity while keeping the traditions of the Mexican-American diet and foods. Media advertisements were also used to emphasize nutrition and physical activity in the community during this time period.

"The Foundation's approach to fighting childhood obesity is to engage and unite community partners at all levels for improved quality of life through initiatives that promote healthy weight and a strong body," said Enrique Mata, senior program officer of the Paso del Norte Health Foundation. "The efforts we have made in promoting health policies and increasing healthy lifestyles will help develop a better quality of life for future generations in the Greater El Paso region."

Results from the SPAN study confirm the findings from previous research from another investigative team, which found that implementation of CATCH reduced the prevalence of obesity in children in elementary. "The programs and policies implemented in Texas helped to stabilize the prevalence of obesity among all grade levels in all regions. However, the rate of child obesity in all counties is greater than the targeted national health goal of 5 percent prevalence," said Hoelscher.

Hoelscher believes statewide m
'/>"/>