May 20, 2008 -- Nancy Correa, M.P.H., a community engagement specialist for the Center for Clinical and Translational Sciences (CCTS) of The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, has been appointed director of a new childhood obesity initiative called CAN DO Houston by the Office of Houston Mayor Bill White. CAN DO Houston stands for Children and Neighbors Defeat Obesity, and has been developed by the Mayor's Wellness Council and the Houston Wellness Association; the organizations that have moved Houston from the most obese city in the country to the #10 spot in three years.
"I am delighted to be part of CAN DO Houston and to address the childhood obesity epidemic which affects about one in three children," said Correa, who described CAN DO Houston as a coordinated effort to mobilize existing wellness resources in the Houston community.
CAN DO Houston is a holistic community-based program that addresses physical activity, nutrition, and healthy minds in the community, school, home, and work environments. It involves the collaboration of many organizations such as the Houston Independent School District, Houston Police Department, Houston Parks and Recreation Department, Houston Department of Health and Human Services, and the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Houston, Texas.
The pilot of CAN DO Houston is scheduled to begin this fall in Magnolia Park, Independence Heights, and Sunnyside super neighborhoods.
Correa graduated from Rice University with Bachelor degrees in Chemistry and Policy Studies, and received her Master of Public Health from Boston University.
