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| Vol. 25, No. 5 |
| March 15, 2003 |
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FROM THE PRESIDENT “You are what you eat” is an old adage taking on new meaning, as researchers today uncover more and more connections between the foods we eat and the state of our overall health. Obesity has become a national epidemic, so it’s no wonder that we’re seeing dramatic increases in the incidence of heart disease, diabetes, cancer and other chronic diseases whose origins may in some instances be attributed, at least in part, to what we eat and drink. March is National Nutrition Month, so let’s look at the efforts several Texas Medical Center hospitals and universities are undertaking to ensure healthier present and future generations. The Children’s Nutrition Research Center at Baylor College of Medicine is one of six federally funded human nutrition research centers in the nation. Operated in cooperation with Texas Children’s Hospital and the Department of Agriculture, the center conducts research aimed at improving the nutritional health of children. For example, one of the center’s current studies is determining how genes affect the absorption of nutrients, while another is identifying factors that influence children’s eating habits and determining ways to redirect unhealthy habits. Nancy Butte, Ph.D., an associate professor of pediatric nutrition who conducts research at the center, says that the older an obese child gets, the more likely he or she has of becoming an obese adult. In other words, early intervention is crucial and good habits instilled early last a lifetime. Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson has made school-based nutrition services a priority on his cabinet program. The University of Texas School of Public Health at Houston has supported this initiative by devising a program called Coordinated Approach to Child Health, or CATCH. The program teaches elementary school students proper nutrition and physical activity, and includes an accompanying nutrition services program. To date, CATCH has been implemented by more than 1,070 Texas elementary schools. Texas Woman’s University researchers are studying the nutritional benefits of peanuts and cotton seed oil, and analyzing the effect of exercise on lipid and lipoprotein levels. In addition, a number of hospitals in the Texas Medical Center offer nutrition counseling and planning through a variety of institutes, wellness centers and departments. The Methodist Hospital is home to the Institute for Preventive Medicine, which offers programs that lead to positive, permanent nutritional changes in health behaviors, while the Nutrition Clinic at St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital helps maternity nutrition, weight control, cardiac nutrition, tube feeding, and diabetes clients follow physician recommended nutrition and diets. Memorial Hermann Hospital’s Nutrition Services include evaluation and medical nutrition therapy for diabetes and hypoglycemia; cardiovascular, gastrointestinal and renal disease; pregnancy and lactation; and vegetarian nutrition. Group classes, seminars and follow-up support are encouraged to help patients achieve their goals. Being conscious of nutrition and exercise is an investment in the future health of America.
©2006 Texas Medical Center
E-Mail: tmcinfo@texmedctr.tmc.edu
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