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 Health & Beauty | November 2007 
Weight Loss Can't Happen Overnight
 Jan Jarvis - Star-Telegram
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 |  | It wasn't so much the traditional Mexican diet that was the problem as it was the children's' tendency to eat fast foods.
- Ximena Urrutia-Rojas |  | |
Fort Worth, TX - Maria Espinoza sneaks slices of squash and bits of green peppers into her cheese quesadillas.
"One of my goals is to get kids to try veggies," she said. "At least if they try it, that's a good sign."
As a promotore, or community worker, with Project DREAMS, Espinoza spent last year teaching Hispanic families how to lead healthier lives.
Progress is often measured in small steps, she said she discovered.
"We have seen some positive results," she said. "But I didn't find any family that made all the changes we had been teaching them."
Project DREAMS, or the Diabetes Research Education and Metabolic Studies project, ended last fall. Since then, researchers have been studying the data and have concluded that families need more time to change their lifestyles.
Researchers at the University of North Texas Health Science Center in Fort Worth targeted Tarrant County's Hispanic population because it is disproportionately affected by diabetes and heart disease.
About 1 in 3 U.S. children born in 2000 will become diabetic unless preventive steps are taken, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For Hispanics, the prediction is 1 in 2.
In the study of 268 Tarrant County families, half the participants were enrolled in an intervention group that was given the support of a promotore. The other group was only mailed written material.
Children in the intervention group did not lose weight, but they didn't gain any either, said Ximena Urrutia-Rojas, UNT Health Science Center associate professor of social and behavioral sciences. The children practiced healthier habits, such as drinking fewer sodas and eating more vegetables. Those who were not in the intervention group gained weight.
Fast-food nation
Espinoza said it wasn't so much the traditional Mexican diet that was the problem as it was the children's' tendency to eat fast foods. The traditional Mexican diet is actually pretty healthy and full of greens and grains, Urrutia-Rojas said.
In some families, everyone wants something different, Urrutia-Rojas said. Older people from Mexico often like spicy foods, but children born in the United States are afraid to eat hot chili, she said.
To satisfy older taste buds, Espinoza added jalapeño slices and cayenne pepper to dishes but used baked instead of fried tortillas. To encourage kids to eat more healthfully, she hid chopped green veggies in various dishes.
In the end, the children had better results than the adults.
Starting out, 88 percent of the adults in the study were overweight; of those, half were obese.
A person is considered obese when he or she is 20 percent over his or her ideal weight.
"That didn't change after intervention," Urrutia-Rojas said. "You just can't give six months of intervention and change behaviors, or at least you can't change them enough."
The demands of work and home created challenges for many of the families.
"In the Hispanic culture, the husband doesn't believe he has to help fix dinner," Espinoza said. "Moms do everything. They cook, they clean up and they end up very tired."
Often health is not a top priority when parents are working three jobs and struggling to make ends meet, Urrutia-Rojas said.
"If the children are not ran over, that's a successful day," she said. "It's about being able to survive."
The DREAMS Project
Purpose: To reduce the risk of Type II diabetes in overweight Hispanic children and their families
Who participated: 268 Tarrant County families. Half were in the intervention group, and half were in the control group.
10 percent of adults and 80 percent of children were born in the United States.
When they entered the study, 88 percent of adults were overweight, and 50 percent of those were obese; 77 percent of children were overweight.
Elevated blood pressure was found in 46 percent of the adults and nearly 24 percent of the children.
Nearly 35 percent of the adults and children had high cholesterol.
How it worked: Over six months, community workers called promotores, provided diet and exercise guidance to families.
Results: The children in the intervention group didn't gain weight, but they did not lose any, either. Sports participation increased. Exercise and eating habits changed. None of the children developed Type II diabetes.
What they learned: More time is needed for long-term results and dramatic shifts in health.
Healthy recipes
Fresh salsa
6 tomatoes
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely minced
2 serrano or jalapeño peppers, finely chopped
3 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
Juice of 1 lime
1/8 teaspoon oregano
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/2 avocado diced (black skin)
1. Combine all ingredients in glass bowl
2. Serve immediately or refrigerate and serve within 5 hours.
Calories: 42 per 1/2 -cup serving
Total fat: 2 g
Cholesterol: 0
Oven-fried yucca
1 pound fresh yucca
Nonstick cooking oil spray
1. In a kettle, combine the yucca with cold water to cover it by 1 inch. Bring water to boil, simmer slowly for 20 to 30 minutes, until tender
2. Preheat over to 350 F.
3. Transfer yucca with slotted spoon to cutting board, let cool, cut lengthwise into 3/4 -inch wide wedges.
4. Spray cookie sheet with spray. Spread yucca wedges. Cover with foil and bake for 8 minutes. Uncover and return to oven. Bake for additional 7 minutes.
Calories: 91 for 1 piece
Total fat: Less than 1 g
Cholesterol: 0
Rice pudding
6 cups water
2 cinnamon sticks
1 cup rice
3 cups skim milk
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoons salt
1. Put the water and cinnamon sticks into a medium saucepan. Bring to boil.
2. Stir in rice. Cook on low heat 30 minutes.
3. Add skim milk, sugar and salt. Cook for 15 minutes until it thickens
Calories: 372 per 1/2 cup
Fat: Less than 1 g
Cholesterol: 3 mg
Jan Jarvis, jjarvis@star-telegram.com |
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