Presented by Dr. Jean Burley Moore
An online game might be the secret weapon for winning the war against childhood obesity. Researchers at Mason have designed and tested a nutrition education program called “Color My Pyramid” to teach students how to evaluate their dietary intake and activity level. The program incorporates the Department of Agriculture’s MyPyramid.gov for Kids Blast-Off Game, an interactive computer game that allows kids to win by fueling their rocket with nutritious foods and a healthy level of physical activity. The Color My Pyramid program comprises six classes taught over a period of three months. Researcher analysis showed that the program significantly improved children’s eating habits, increased physical activity levels, lowered blood pressure and decreased weight and body mass index percentiles. In this presentation, Dr. Jean Burley Moore, professor and assistant dean of nursing research development in Mason’s College of Health and Human Services, shares the results of this innovative program.
Presentation by Dr. Lisa Pawloski
Although the epidemic of childhood obesity in the United States has been well publicized, many people are not aware that the disease has also emerged as a threat to the health of children and adolescents in low- and middle-income countries around the globe. Once thought to be a strictly American phenomenon, childhood obesity rates are soaring in nations still plagued with hunger and poverty. According to World Health Organization statistics, at least 20 million children under the age of five years were overweight globally in 2005, putting them at risk for a number of chronic diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and cancer. In this presentation, Dr. Lisa Pawloski, associate professor and chair of the Department of Global and Community Health in Mason’s College of Health and Human Services, describes her investigations into this global crisis.
Presented by Dr. Regine Talleyrand
Many factors play a role in obesity trends among populations and cultural factors may be one of the strongest contributors. The use of racial identity theory, acculturation, and multicultural competencies to support the development of new physical and mental health models for people of color has been a major focus of research for one Mason researcher. In this presentation, Dr. Regine Talleyrand, associate professor and coordinator of counseling and development in the College of Education and Human Development, discusses her groundbreaking analysis of the relationships among stress, race and eating disorders in African American women.