Health school receives grant to combat obesity

The UCLA School of Public Health received a $4.25 million grant to be used for improving health in low-income populations.

The school received the grant as a Designated National Center of Excellence in the Elimination of Health Disparities. Over the next five years, the grant money from the Centers for Disease Control’s Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health across the U.S. (REACH US) will be used by Dr. Roshan Bastani and Dr. Antronette Yancey, co-directors of the Center for the Elimination of Health Disparities, to close gaps in health care between certain populations.

According to 2005 Health Interview Survey data for Los Angeles County, health conditions of Latinos and blacks often lag behind those of other groups.

In California, 28.7 percent of Latinos and 27.7 percent of blacks are considered obese, compared with whites and Asians at 16.6 percent and 6 percent, respectively.

“(Obesity is) a huge health problem for all groups across the country, but mainly in lower-income groups and ethnic minorities,” Bastani said.

She said she believes the problem stems from lower physical activity levels in low-income areas, as streets may be unsafe for exercise via walking. Grocery stores in low-income areas also may not stock healthier food options, such as fresh fruit which can be more expensive, she said.

South Los Angeles itself has large low-income and minority populations and the highest percentage of inactive adults in America, at 44 percent compared with the national average of 37 percent, according to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality’s National Healthcare Disparities Report.

Bastani said her work with the CEHD will serve to fight obesity in Los Angeles, as well as in other communities.

The program aims to change group attitudes and create opportunities for better health, rather than focus on individual behavior, Bastani said.

For example, exercise breaks at work and more visible healthy eating choices in schools could benefit entire groups.

Bastani said most programs suggest solutions for the individual, such as eating healthy, walking and going to the gym, but these methods may not be effective in every community.

“The environment co-conspires against them,” Bastani said. “Change the culture and environment, and we hopefully influence individual behavior.”

In the first phase of the project the CEHD will work with six partners to change community conditions, such as providing healthier food or time for physical activity, to favor better health.

In the second phase, the program will work for change within the communities themselves though schools, workplaces and faith-based groups.

Dr. Yancey suggested measures in the workplace such as walking during meetings, parking farther away and providing healthier food options.

“Have a fruit or nut basket as opposed to candy and cookie jars,” she said.

The CEHD will provide funding for community programs as well as training on-site and through UCLA Extension to educate community leaders.

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