Child obesity project comes to Morgan City

Parents and guardians looking for help in tackling childhood obesity for their children can meet one-on-one with experts Wednesday, when a team from Pennington Biomedical rolls into Morgan City to address what they see is a growing health crisis.
The Healthy Moves tour bus, an initiative of the Baton Rouge research center, will make a stop at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday at the St. Mary Parish Health Unit in Morgan City, 1200 David Drive, to promote Greaux Healthy, a Pennington campaign designed to inform communities about essential tools and programs that target what they have concluded is a growing crisis in Louisiana.
Melissa Martin, director of Greaux Healthy, said obesity is an issue that needs immediate attention.
“Our children’s health is too precious to wait,” Martin said. “Through Greaux Healthy, we are raising awareness, expanding access to evidence-based solutions, equipping educators and health care providers with tools to support prevention, and building community partnerships that empower families to take charge of their health and create a brighter future for generations to come.”
Martin pointed to a recent survey Greaux Healthy conducted, which found that Louisiana residents rank childhood obesity as the top health concern for kids, above smoking and vaping, mental health, diabetes and high blood pressure, highlighting the disease’s significance and widespread impact.
“Without intervention, nearly seven in 10 children with obesity are likely to enter adulthood with obesity,” Martin said.
She said the public is invited for free, and the Greaux Healthy team will showcase various resources available to local stakeholders, including programs for schools, evidence-based practices for healthcare providers and education for families.
The team will also inform visitors about a forthcoming Pennington Generation research study, which invites families in the tri-parish area to play an active role in exploring how lifestyle factors influence childhood health and development.
The study aims to enroll 1,500 families across Louisiana to gain deeper insight into how chronic diseases impact individuals, families, and communities.
The study will focus on four key populations: expectant families and parents of infants, preschool-aged children, school-aged children, and teens and young adults.
For example, Greauxing Healthy Kids is an initiative that emphasizes that small, consistent changes in lifestyle — rather than perfection — are key to long-term health improvements
Dr. Nsikan St. Martin, a board-certified obstetrician and gynecologist with Phoenix Health Care Center in Morgan City, said obesity is a multi-factorial disease with genetic, physiologic, socioeconomic and environmental contributors, rather than a simple consequence of personal choice.
“The clinical significance is substantial as obese children face higher prevalence of hypertension, high cholesterol, mental health conditions, metabolic dysfunction, and even fatty liver disease.”
A 2024 report from Trust for America’s Health, a non-partisan public health policy, research and advocacy organization, said Louisiana had the nation’s third-highest obesity rate in the nation, with an obesity rate of 39.2 percent; that number is up from 35.9 percent in 2019.
“This begs for effective, urgent and tailored interventions at both the community and state level,” St. Martin said.