Vanderbilt conducts pilot study on childhood obesity

Vanderbilt Diabetes Center and the Meharry Clinic will soon enroll 100 families in a pilot program to prevent childhood obesity.

At least a third of the participants will be Latino.

Vanderbilt professor Russell Rothman is head of the program that is a test-run for a $3 million national research project. The study will have a particular focus on Latino families because they are at a higher risk for obesity.

Rothman says the program will teach parents the dangers of having overweight kids. It will also give them strategies to avoid the problem.

“Some of the things that we are going to be focusing on is improving how we educate families about things like cutting down on the amount of juice and other sugary drinks, and also promoting physical activity and limiting TV time.”

The study will work with kids 2-years-old and younger as their eating habits are first established.

Rothman says Tennessee ranks fourth in the nation for childhood obesity. He hopes to start enrolling families in the next few weeks.