Community Obesity Program

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Written By Judy Doherty, MPS, PCII
Caryn Alter, MS, RD used this program for her community and over 500 pounds were lost during the program.
TitleCommunity Obesity ProgramIntroThe staff of the Health Awareness Center, the community health division of CentraState Hospital, initiated a community-wide intervention for obesity. The initiative was done in cooperation with the mayor of a nearby town for the residents of his town.BodyOver 300 community members registered for the program, which ran for 10 weeks. Registrants attended weekly nutrition and exercise education sessions, and participated in community walks, supermarket tours, and a cooking demonstration. Weights and blood pressures were tracked by registered nurses throughout the program. There were 105 active participants. The total weight loss for the program was 523 pounds, and almost 62% of the active participants lowered their blood pressure.The program provided two 30-minute education sessions (one in the daytime, one in the evening) each week during the 10-week program. The topics were:
  • "Eat Great, Lose Weight"
  • "Portion Distortion"
  • "Exercise: The Bottom Line"
  • "Dining Out Do's and Don'ts"
  • "Battle of the Binge"
  • "Food Shop Weight Drops"
  • "Exercise: Pump Up Your Metabolism"
  • "Extreme Meal Makeovers"
  • "Food Power"
  • "Keep the Ball Rolling"

Printed handouts were provided for the education sessions.Two exercise-themed weekly topics were taught by certified fitness instructors. Six community walks (a trail walk, a family walk, an historic walk, a stroller walk, a senior walk, and a 3-mile walk) were held.Registered dietitians led four supermarket tours, and collaborated with local restaurants to help them earmark the healthy selections on their menus. A cooking demonstration was held at a local high school with its culinary management program. -------Caryn Alter, MS, RDCentraState Medical Center

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Judy Doherty, MPS, PCII

Judy’s passion for cooking began with helping her grandmother make raisin oatmeal for breakfast. From there, she earned her first food service job at 15, was accepted to the world-famous Culinary Institute of America at 18 (where she graduated second in her class), and went on to the Fachschule Richemont in Switzerland, where she focused on pastry arts and baking. After a decade in food service for Hyatt Hotels, Judy launched Food and Health Communications to focus on flavor and health. She graduated with Summa Cum Laude distinction from Johnson and Wales University with a BS in Culinary Arts, holds a master’s degree in Food Business from the Culinary Institute of America, two art certificates from UC Berkeley Extension, and runs a food photography & motion studio where her love is creating fun recipes and content.

Judy received The Culinary Institute of America’s Pro Chef II certification, the American Culinary Federation Bronze Medal, Gold Medal, and ACF Chef of the Year. Her enthusiasm for eating nutritiously and deliciously leads her to constantly innovate and use the latest nutritional science and Dietary Guidelines to guide her creativity, from putting new twists on fajitas to adapting Italian brownies to include ingredients like toasted nuts and cooked honey. Judy’s publishing company, Food and Health Communications, is dedicated to her vision that everyone can make food that tastes as good as it is for you.

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