Researchers Discuss Obesity Prevention at UMD Public Health Event

A roundtable of a dozen researchers and public health students from College Park and Baltimore took on the issue of obesity prevention Thursday at the University of Maryland’s first annual Public Health Research@Maryland.  

A major goal of the event was to network with other investigators around the area and stimulate future collaborations involving obesity research.

One debate that the panelists had was whether physical activity or nutrition played a stronger role in obesity prevention. The general consensus was that a combination of healthy eating, high levels of physical activity, and a lack of sedentary behaviors are all contributing factors. 

The group discussed the dangers of obesity among young children, who can face problems later in life such as heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and joint replacements if they do not change their lifestyles. They said that the role that parents play is incredibly important. 

There was a consensus that many parents are not engaged enough in their children’s health, something that could be exacerbated by the fact that many of these parents are overweight or obese themselves. According to a July 2012 study conducted by the School of Public Health, 34 percent of Prince George’s County residents are overweight and 35 percent are obese.  

Elliot Segal, a professor in the School of Public Health, cited the Barker hypothesis, which says that a poor fetal in-utero environment can lead to a low birth weight and have a significant impact on the risk of chronic diseases such as obesity later in life

“Mothers need to be healthy during pregnancy,” he said. “If a baby is born with a low birth weight, this is the biggest projector of things like kidney disease and heart disease. By age 4, the child will usually be overweight.”  

One researcher said that parents are not engaged enough in Prince George’s County but that schools have been making a number of changes over the past few years to promote healthier living, such as limiting calories and incorporating more fruits and vegetables into school lunches.  

The county also offers a number of resources and organizations that promote healthy living for families. 

The Prince George’s County Department of Parks and Recreation provides numerous parks and community centers that provide health improvement programs such as fitness centers and nutrition classes. There are many trails throughout the county for activities such as hiking, biking and horseback riding. 

Another resource for county residents is the University of Maryland Extension, which to help families and communities live healthy lives. 

Patsy A. Ezell, the assistant director of family and consumer sciences at the University of Maryland Extension, said UME offers programs that address obesity, delving into issues such as poor fitness and unhealthy diets. 

“There are a variety of community-based programs in Prince George’s County, and we partner with other agencies with the goal of promoting healthy living,” Ezell said.  

Other recent initiatives in the county include a policy to requiring chain restaurants to provide nutritional information for menu items and increased marketing of healthier foods. 

In College Park, a number of new restaurants are promoting healthy eating.  Garbanzo Mediterranean Grill has many gluten-free and vegetarian items on its menu and uses all-natural ingredients. Sweetgreen offers low-calorie salads with plenty of vegetables, and Ovo Simply Veggie offers a completely vegan menu. 

On top of that, two farmers markets will be reopening soon: one in front of Cole Field House on campus and another downtown in front of City Hall. These farmers markets offer College Park residents healthy and natural food products that are locally grown.  

On the University of Maryland campus, the Center for Health and Wellbeing provides services such as nutrition counseling, free diet analysis and various workshops to help students monitor their weight.