MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — A West Virginia University researcher will lead a project to further develop the tools to address the causes of West Virginia’s obesity problem following a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Melissa Olfert, an associate professor at WVU’s Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design, will use the $650,000 grant for HomeStyles, a program focused on helping parents create practices for establishing healthy lifestyle trends with their children, including positive diets and physical activity.
The program is in conjunction with WVU, Rutgers University and the University of Florida. The institutions will also use the grant to expand HomeStyles’ scope.
The five-year grant, from the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, was awarded after a new study reported West Virginia had the highest adult obesity rate in the United States at 37.7 percent. The project, “The State of Obesity,” also found high rates of obesity among children, including 18.5 percent in children from 10 to 17 years old.
The study was a joint effort between the Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Olfert, a guest on MetroNews “Talkline” last week, said West Virginians have multiple obstacles in creating healthy lifestyles.
“Grocery stores, in general, we are kind of an isolated area, and we qualify as a food desert region,” she said. “We also have an environment that isn’t necessarily easy to get out and be physically active with sidewalks and where you can create an environment where you can be more mobile and have a great deal of family interaction and physical activity.”
Olfert added families are rushed in their daily activities, thus having less time to prepare healthy foods and adjust their lifestyles.
“Culinary skills are missing. Understanding how to navigate through the grocery store is missing. Understanding how to plan ahead and even food safety,” she said. “What keeps in a care and how can you have this bite-sized and appropriately portion-sized for your children.”
HomeStyles is aimed at initially educating the parents of preschool children about healthy lifestyles through instructional guides and other forms of support. Participants will be asked to select topics to help children make better decisions
“We know parents are the busiest people out there and if you’re a parent, you’re trying to juggle everything,” she said. “HomeStyles was really created to enable parents and to help motivate parents as well.”
Olfert said while the obesity rate is high, it does not have to continue to rise.
“I really feel that we can empower those who are paying attention and want to make positive changes,” she noted. “They just need the tools to do it.”
According to the Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design, topics of the program include rethinking beverage choice, the impacts of technology on diet and encouraging breakfast.