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Question: Hello! My state (Texas) is in the process of developing a community resource guide for pediatricians related to obesity. The hope is that the guide will provide a roadmap for community physicians to connect to local community agencies to build relationships around nutrition, exercise, and well-being. Does such a "road map" already exist for building obesity relationships, or for other disease processes? Thanks, Carl Tapia, MD CATCH Texas Co-Facilitator
Answer: Good morning! If you are seeking a directory of relevant local organizations that a pediatrician might contact for referral purposes, we probably to not have what you are seeking. Consider asking your local United Way agencies for access to their local resource directories, often identified as HelpLine, Information And Referral, or similar name. Where these are available, you can then focus your own effort on educating physicians about the existence of United Way resource directories and how to use them. Also, you can concentrate your development efforts on filling in gaps in areas without United Way agencies. United Way might also help you develop a specifically focused resource guide of obesity-related resources. We suggest that it be made available online so pediatricians in more rural areas can access it easily Within CTB, take a look at our Links page. Food and Fitness for Children and Families might be relevant, and there are other possibilities. Also, click on our Workstation tab. Several of those resources might be useful. You will need to register (the usual simple process) to access the specific sites. An internet search on ?obesity resources? also yielded several possibilities. Thanks for contacting CTB, and when it is completed, please consider adding your road map to our Workstation page. We have had several requests for obesity program models.
Question Date: Wed, 08/13/2008