Institutionalize the Bienestar Program as a public health obesity reduction model along the U.S./Mexico Border to address the obesity and diabetes crisis. This proven strategy can also be replicated as a best practice in other areas as well.

Prevention and health care access remain a challenge; however, for a border community like Laredo, which has an inadequate health care delivery system, citizens are in double jeopardy as health disparities are further impacted by socioeconomic and built environment conditions. Culturally and historically, Laredo, as other communities, lived a healthy life style in large part due to its youth and traditional customs. As the population aged and assimilated, poverty and an inadequate educational system affected many of the cultural values and traditions, such as doing physical work, taking daily walks, eating fresh fruits and vegetables and having a strong family ethic, which all began to deteriorate. The population adopted new traditions and customs and began to eat more saturated foods, processed foods and increased smoking and alcohol consumption. The community changed from eating natural and whole grain foods to eating processed foods, such as changing from corn to flour. Add in the advertising and media that promote “larger is better,” communities such as Laredo got swept into buying “biggy fries,” “gobbler drinks,”(24-ounce soft drinks), and stopped breast feeding and eating healthier.

The alarming increase in the prevalence of sedentary lifestyles over the last two decades has also raised additional concerns about related health risks for the entire population. The lack of physical activity, inadequate dietary habits and the increased consumption of calorie-dense foods have contributed to the development of another major public health problem: obesity, which is the second leading cause of preventable death in the United States. In this community, the percentage of sedentary residents is approximately 67% for males and 67.8% for females. Another striking fact is that 78.2% of the male population (18 and older) is either overweight or obese, compared with 72.2% of the female population. The statistics for children however, is alarming: 1 out of 4 is overweight and there is a disproportion rate of Diabetes Mellitus (DM) among Laredo’s youth.

 

Challenge the current paradigm of social pressures and address health disparities that are exacerbated by the built environment by conducting “Bienestar,” a proven intervention and prevention nutritional and exercise initiative aimed at Laredo’s youth, which incorporates diet, nutrition counseling and exercise, coupled with parent involvement and school partnership. The teachers are trained and, along with the City of Laredo’s Health Department, work with students through an incentive program based on exercise and diet. In a pilot model of this program under Dr. Roberto Treviño, over the last 12 years in the City of San Antonio, all students who participated in the study made a substantial lifestyle change. Support is needed for diabetes and obesity prevention efforts that promote healthy life styles at the local level. Two recommendations are support for Bienestar and Nutrifit Laredo Children’s Summer Camp.

Commissioner of Health should incorporate into state agenda in partnership with Texas Education Agency. The CDC should also evaluate the merit of this project. We invite CDC and DSHS to visit Laredo who will initiate this nutrition and exercise program this coming school year with pre and post testing. The National Institute of Health already has the proven data of this strategy since they have funded the initial efforts.

• Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)
• Department of State Health Services (DSHS)
• National Institute of Health (NIH)
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)