Dallas Program Director Publishes Gradudate School Research

Brighter Bites Dallas Program Director Alicia Farhat and Brighter Bites co-founder Dr. Shreela Sharma recently published research findings from Alicia’s Master in Public Health thesis research project in the Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition.

The article describes the long term effects of attending Kamp K’aana, a two-week residential weight management camp, on the weight and body mass index (BMI) measurements of obese youth. This intensive program aimed to introduce youth to a variety of tools to empower them to lead healthy lifestyles by making changes in their lives and diet through fun-based activities and building self-esteem. The participants also followed a specific meal plan tailored to meet their nutrition needs. The Kamp K’aana program was also developed to be short, lower cost, and available to youth who are economically disadvantaged and ethnically diverse.

Participants’ height and weight measurements were taken pre-camp, post-camp, and at the 11-month reunion and used to calculate BMI, BMI percentiles, and BMI z scores. At the end of the 2-week camp, significant reductions were seen in body weight and all BMI measures. At the long-term reunion, significant reductions persisted from pre-camp measures in BMI z scores and BMI percentile. In addition, small reductions in BMI z scores and BMI percentile continued when compared with the post-camp measures. This indicated slight continued improvement or stability in weight and BMI measures outside the camp setting. Other studies have shown that a decrease in BMI z score may be associated with decreased blood pressure and improvement in cardiovascular risk factors. The short-term improvements and long-term maintenance suggest that the experience of these types of camps can initiate changes in lifestyle at home.

Alicia’s focus in the prevention and treatment of childhood obesity remains as she works to increase fruit and vegetable consumption in children through Brighter Bites program implementation in schools and summer programs in Dallas. By participating in Brighter Bites children may have a greater chance of maintaining healthy eating habits learned through programs like Kamp K’aana. Alicia hopes to continue to follow her passion for research by increasing the Dallas Brighter Bites program’s contributions to the entire organization’s research efforts and studying the impact the program has on children’s eating behaviors at school and at home.