Mobile County Health Department nutrition staff weigh and measure more than 500 students



  Mobile County Health Department Senior

  Nutritionist Dana Herazo, a Registered Dietitian,

  measures a sixth grader at a local middle school

  on Aug. 19, 2014.

MOBILE, Ala. --  While anecdotal evidence may abound, there are few studies adequately documenting nutrition and obesity issues among Mobile County children in recent history.

With that in mind, Mobile County Health Department Social and Nutritional Programs staff members visited three area middle schools this week to weigh and measure hundreds of sixth-grade students as part of an initiative with other agencies to determine the extent of obesity challenges facing area youth.

MCHD has partnered with Junior League of Mobile, the University of South Alabama and the Mobile County Public School System to conduct an assessment study to determine the outcome of evidence-based nutritional and fitness program intervention in sixth-grade students in Mobile County.

"We are working together to combat unhealthy eating," said Tabitha Olzinski, the Nutrition and Assessment Chair for Junior League of Mobile. "Middle school is a time when students really start making their own choices about what they want to eat. We want to help them learn about healhtier options."

The assessment will be created by compiling data taken from sixth-grade students and implementing evidence-based programs at three local middle schools. Data collection methods include pre and post participant surveys to gauge nutrition knowledge, demographics, nutrition choices and weight measurement assessments.

Junior League of Mobile will implement the nutrition and fitness program at two area middle schools to students who have permission from their parents to take part. JLM also will implement an evidence-based program called Planet Health through the JLM Kids in the Kitchen program at a third middle school.