The Center for the Study of Obesity is supported through the Governor Sidney S. McMath Endowment. Created by the McMath Woods Law Firm, it fosters and enhances obesity-related research, contributes to the Center’s development, and provides leadership to develop a plan that addresses Arkansas’ major nutrition and diet-related problems.
Known as the father of modern-day UAMS, Governor McMath (1912-2003) championed reform laws and policies to improve the lives of his fellow Arkansans. In that same spirit, the Center is dedicated to improving the lives of Arkansans through its fight against obesity.

Governor Sidney S. McMath participating in the 1951 groundbreaking ceremony for what is now the main UAMS Little Rock campus. Left to right: Governor McMath, Dr. Lewis Jones, and Dr. Hayden C. Nicholson.