Children and Neighbors Defeat Obesity (CAN DO) Houston

CAN DO Houston was created when the Mayor's Wellness Council, the Houston Wellness Association, and various stakeholders came together to address the growing problem of obesity in Houston, Texas.

CAN DO Houston is staffed by stakeholders from key organizations in the Houston area, including the school district, parks and recreation, and the local Health and Human Services department. These individuals work to encourage community engagement and facilitate collaboration between 60 existing organizations in Houston that are currently addressing childhood obesity. After conducting focus groups with community members to determine community needs, CAN DO Houston works with partner organizations to promote evidence-based and sustainable initiatives that support those needs.

Examples of events that CAN DO Houston has worked to coordinate include: cooking classes for parents and students, fitness and nutrition carnivals, grocery store tours, school gardens, and school staff wellness. The primary target population of this intervention includes students aged 6 to 12 and the secondary target population includes parents, families, and school staff.

The goal of CAN DO Houston is to prevent childhood obesity in the Houston area by facilitating programs that encourage good nutrition, physical activity, and healthy minds.

Preliminary data from the pilot study showed that children in the two target communities utilized the increased opportunities to participate in physical activity and receive nutrition education. Over 400 students and family members attended various CAN DO Houston events and approximately 50 students attended each after-school program. In addition, during the pilot program 100 people volunteered at various events for a total of 450 volunteer hours. Further studies will compare the body mass index of students who participated in CAN DO Houston events to those who did not.