Honored for completing a special obesity prevention program on campus are, from left, front row, Gloria Giraldo, Lizbeth Ramos Hernandez, Iztacxochilt Acevedo Hernandez, Yadira Castaneda Hernandez, Teresa Zamora Chavez, Maria Teresa Olivares Meneses, Gabriela Flores Zarate, Silvia Cuaxilo Ortega and Cleotilde Marquez Zempoalteca. Back row, from left, President Milton A. Gordon; Christine L. Latham, professor of nursing; Silas H. Abrego, associate vice president for student affairs; Maria Francisca Rodriguez Nava; and Victor Rojas, project manager, Title V Office. Photo by Kelly Lacefield

Preventing Obesity

Faculty From Mexico University Complete Prevention Program

July 15, 2008

By Mimi Ko Cruz

Nine university faculty members from Mexico completed a special obesity prevention program July 1 and received certificates from President Milton A. Gordon.

The program is an offshoot of a partnership between Cal State Fullerton, the Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala in Mexico and various U.S. and Mexican health agencies and hospitals. The partnership is one of 10 that the federal government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development, established as part of the Training, Internships, Exchanges and Scholarships program.

The Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala faculty worked on developing a culturally relevant diabetes and obesity prevention model that they now are taking back to their hometown to implement at the individual, community, workplace and/or policy level, said Victor M. Rojas Jr., project manager, Title V Office. "The students will implement the model to assist the community in Tlaxcala fight the increasing number of people suffering from diabetes and obesity.