The 2006 ‘got milk?’

Obesity rates in the US have reached epidemic proportions. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it is estimated that 1/3 of Hispanics are considered obese. To help Hispanics lose weight in a healthy manner, the milk industry invites all Hispanic to sign-up for the Great American Weight Loss Challenge. Created in 2005 as part of the Milk Processors Educational Program (“MilkPEP”), the Challenge provides the necessary tools to start losing weight in a healthy manner, being a 12-week program the principal element.

To help Hispanics successfully start a weight loss program, the Challenge’s tour will stop at the 8 most important Hispanic cities of the 75 that is visiting nationwide. The tour has stopped in Miami, San Antonio, Phoenix, Houston and Los Angeles, and will continue to Chicago, New York and Dallas until the end of August. Among these 8 Hispanic cities, 7 are among the list of the 25 most obese cities in the US(2): Chicago (1), Los Angeles (3), Dallas (4), Houston (5), San Antonio (12), Miami (14), New York (25).

Claudia González, a renowned certified Hispanic nutritionist and author of the book “Gordito Doesn’t Mean Healthy”, has joined the tour to make Hispanics aware of the obesity problem, and provide help and guidance for a successful and healthy diet plan. Her book is a guide geared specifically to Hispanic mothers, because it is mothers who make the majority of decisions concerning their home, nutrition and eating of their children and family.

González explains her role within the tour: “Given the high obesity rates among Hispanics and the reality that they are predisposed to certain diseases, it becomes more essential to educate them about good eating habits. In general, when people want to lose weight, they think that they need to skip breakfast, and that’s a big mistake. A study done by Patricia Locklear shows that the longer Hispanics stay in the US, the more the quality of their diet is reduced. In fact, 64% of those who participated in the study acknowledged that they eliminated breakfast after moving to the US. So eating breakfast can be one of the strategies to help Hispanics lose weight”, concluded