Obesity in Ohio and in Franklin County is a continuing challenge. In Franklin County, over one-third of adults (35.7%) are living with obesity. Even more alarming, 1 in 3 children meet overweight or obesity criteria. Obesity increases risk for many other health problems, including diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and stroke.

The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center is partnering with patients and local organizations to combat obesity in our community through our Obesity and Nutrition Steering Committee. The committee is co-chaired by Joshua J. Joseph, MD, MPH, and Benjamin O'Donnell. The committee includes five subgroups with an emphasis on Analytics & Infrastructure, Personalized Medicine, Research, Partnerships and Top Tier Programs. 

Top Tier Programs

• Exercise Is Medicine
• Mid-Ohio Farmacy Program
  • OSU family docs and Mid-Ohio food pantries team up to address food insecurity
• Living Well
• Ohio State Diabetes Prevention Program

Research

Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and its seven health sciences colleges perform research related to nutrition and obesity from the cellular level to the population.

• Diabetes and Food Insecurity Grant
• Black Impact 100: A Community Effort to Heal a Community
• A potential protector against a mild heart attack’s aftereffects on metabolism
• Study in mice suggests that when fathers exercise their offspring are healthier

Community Programs

• Healthy Community Center
• OSUCCC - James Mobile Education Kitchen
• Growing and Growth Collective
• Uplift Her
• African American Male Wellness Walk
• Nutrition counseling and education at free and reduced-cost clinics and community agencies
• Health screenings at churches, community events, health fairs and other public venues
• School-based programs
• Employer-based health events

Additional Programs

Columbus Neighborhood Health Center
Provides nutrition counseling and education to patients at Columbus Neighborhood Health Centers

Cooking Matters
Provides nutrition education and cooking demonstrations to community participants

Easter Egg Hunt: School supplies instead of candy
Gives away school supplies to needy children in lieu of candy in Easter eggs

Evaluate menus for allergens and carbohydrate counting
Provides evaluation of menus for allergens and carbohydrate counting

Flying Horse Camps: Nutrition Education
Provides nutrition education to staff, food service employees and campers

Franklin County WIC: Nutrition Counseling
Provides nutrition counseling and education to WIC program participants

Nutritional materials for NCH
Develops and designs teaching materials used by clinical nutrition staff to educate patients

OSU Wellness Center
Provides nutrition counseling and education

Ronald McDonald House
Prepares meals for Ronald McDonald House families

St. Brigids Kildare School: Nutrition Education
Designs and implements nutrition education for grades K-6; health fair for staff