Exploring Obesity in Hispanic Communities: A three-pronged project with a single goalAlbert Anastasio, Sophomore at Centre College

Part 1:Medical intervention in an underserved area of

PanamaProject specifics: I traveled to Panama with International Service Learning, a non-profit organization which specializes in providing medical and dental services to people in impoverished areas of Central America. Many of their health problems stem from poor diets and obesity. As the only volunteer in my group who spoke Spanish, I was given a lot of responsibility as a translator. I also learned as much as I could from the other volunteers, many of whom were within a year of finishing their nursing training. I opted to spend a few extra days in Panama after the rest of the volunteers had gone home, exploring the country by myself.

Part 2: Research involvement with the Get Healthy

Philly initiativeProject Specifics: After my time in Panama, I traveled to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I immediately began work at the Center for Obesity Research and Education (CORE) where I was a part of the Get Healthy Philly initiative. My work as a research assistant on the Healthy Corner Store initiative included interviewing inner-city Philadelphia residents concerning their food choices as they were leaving various corner stores throughout the city. I also was able to meet with faculty members at CORE and discuss my interests and career goals with them. I sat in on meetings for other ongoing projects at CORE and was able to gain an understanding for the inner-workings of a research center at a major institution.

Part 3:Volunteer work with the Hispanic population at Puentes de Salud

Project Specifics: During the time I spent in Philadelphia, I made an effort to involve myself in any way possible with Puentes de Salud (Bridges of Health), a free, volunteer-based health clinic located in South Philadelphia. I met Dr. Matthew O’Brien MD, MSc, through CORE (where he does research on acculturation and obesity prevention in Latinos) when I was planning my summer, and he mentioned that he co-founded a clinic where I could shadow doctors and volunteer time to get a sense of the intervention side of obesity treatment. Adult-Onset Diabetes and other obesity related illnesses are the most commonly seen health issues at Puentes, and I learned a great deal about how clinicians are currently assessing and attempting to prevent these diseases. I met many doctors and nurses at Puentes who became an inspiration for me and Dr. O’Brien became a good friend and mentor.

Abstract:As the rate of obesity related illness and mortality increases across the globe, health care centers that attack the epidemic through preventative research and intervention have been established. My career goal is to pursue both prevention and intervention, focusing especially on obesity within the Hispanic community. This summer, I helped to provide care to medically underserved areas of Panama, worked as a research assistant at the Center for Obesity Research and Education at Temple University, and volunteered at a clinic for the Hispanic population in the South Philadelphia area. I learned how to conduct medical and dietary interviews in English and Spanish, and I gained a better understanding of how epidemiological research on obesity is conducted. I also established friendships and connections with a variety of individuals, each of who played a role in making this summer the formative experience that it was.

A view of the skyline of Panama City.

Our group gathered on church steps

The ad for our free healthcare clinic

The Island of Taboga, the site of our first clinic. A potential tourist destination,

Tabogo remains impoverished.

The family of Amet Caballero, the leader of our group, on the streets of Casco Viejo

A traditional Panamanian supper:

a whole fried fish, beans and rice, and

cabbage salad

The Kingsessing Food Market, where I spent many hours

interviewing community members on their choice of foods, is located

in one of the roughest areas of Southwest Philadelphia. Most of

the purchases are made on SNAP welfare cards and some of the

foods that are available are shown in the photos: high-calorie, low-

nutrient-density pastries and chips

In comparison with the Kingsessing Food Market, the Christian Food Market (above left) has worked in partnership with Get

Healthy Philly initiative and has begun selling fresh produce. The color guide strip (above right) is part of an ongoing research study

aimed at determining whether healthier choices will be made if lower-calorie, more

wholesome products are marked with a green sticker while nutritionally-worthless products

are marked with a red sticker.

The produce section at Christian Food Market sells fresh fruits and vegetables as well as healthy snacks

like low-fat yogurt at subsidized costs.

These three shots show me diagnosing health problems after taking vital signs and health background information. The doctor and I would then discuss the best plan of action for the patient. I found the doctors to be gracious in giving

me the opportunity to take my first steps into the medical profession.

Joe Garland, MD, works with patients at Puentes. Dr. Garland was one of the staff members at

Puentes with whom I got the chance to meet and work with.

Acknowledgments: I sincerely appreciative the opportunities provided to me by the Brown Foundation and Centre College. I would also like to thank Drs. Cusato and

Workman and my parents for their support.

Puentes de Salud does more than just provide free healthcare to the Latino

communityI was also involved with English as a second language classes (ESL) and helped with childcare. I also attended the first meetings for a community garden project aimed at empowering the residents of an apartment that houses HIV positive individuals. The garden will grow fresh produce and will occupy a vacant lot in Germantown, a very poor area of North Philly.

While in Philly I was able to explore the great cities of the Eastern United States with trips to New York City and Washington D.C., an experience that

I found incredibly enriching

History: My interest in the Obesity Epidemic and the study of nutrition as well as my love for the Hispanic community has developed over the past few years. I started reading abut nutrition and health before I began high school, but my interest was cemented after a summer-long service trip where I lived with a host family in Paraguay. There, I honed my Spanish language skills and had what would become my first experience with a developing global health problem: obesity effecting not just the wealthy, but also the poor who have access to high calorie, but not healthy foods. I decided that this “food-gap” between the rich and the poor was an issue that I felt passionately about. Developing the project: With this interest in mind, I formulated and a project proposal for the Brown Foundation. The three pronged approach that I took this summer allowed me to achieve three goals: To work as a medical aid in a Spanish-speaking country, to intern as a researcher in a center for obesity research, and to volunteer in an American clinic for Hispanic populations.