ROUNDS
Cuero family physician Mike McLeod, MD, left, exercises with a community member during a Walk With a Doc Texas event. He and more than 30 Texas physicians participate in the program. Last year, approximately 7,500 Texans joined a physician at a Walk With a Doc event.
Walking with a doc: a prescription for good health
BY DEBRA HEATER It’s no secret that obesity and its adverse health effects pose a huge problem for Texans and the rest of the nation. According to The State of Obesity: Better Policies for a Healthier America, 31.9 percent of Texas adults are obese. This rate has tripled since 1990, climbing at an alarming rate of 10 percent every decade. Obesity contributes to serious health problems, such as diabetes and hyper-
tension, which affect millions of Texans. According to the State of Obesity, Texas ranks 17th in the nation for adults diagnosed with diabetes and 29th for hyper- tension. Texas also ranks seventh in physical inactivity. To read the report, visit
http://stateofobesity.org/states/tx. These statistics have many wondering what Texas can do to turn the tide of
obesity. PHOTO BY JIM LINCOLN
NEWS FROM AMERICA’S BEST MEDICAL SOCIETY
TMA’s Walk With a Doc Texas
(WWAD Texas) program is working to turn these statistics around in the Lone Star State. The program is part of a national grassroots movement de- voted to encouraging healthy physical activity and reversing the consequenc- es of a sedentary lifestyle. WWAD Texas gives physicians the opportuni- ty to promote a healthy and active way of life by hosting monthly walks with their patients and community mem- bers. From Victoria to Plainview, more than 30 Texas physicians are routinely leading walks in their communities. The program has had a positive im-
pact. A 2015 national survey of Walk With a Doc participants showed the following:
• 93 percent of participants said they felt more educated since beginning to participate;
• 79 percent said they’d gotten more exercise;
• 79 percent felt more empowered in their interactions with health care professionals, such as speaking up with regard to their own health; and
• 98 percent liked the concept of bringing physicians and commu- nity members together outside a health care setting.
Learn more about the program by
visiting
www.texmed.org/WWAD. To find out how you can start WWAD Texas in your community, contact Debra Heater in TMA’s Division of
September 2016 TEXAS MEDICINE 17
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