What We Address
Obesity is a chronic disease that currently afflicts more than a third of Arkansans. Obesity is a risk factor for other serious diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and certain types of cancer.
Many factors, such as access to nutritious foods and health care impact state and national obesity rates. Socioeconomic inequalities also add to obesity risk and are related to the neighborhoods in which people live, work and play.
The research conducted by the Center for the Study of Obesity examines:
- Systemic components leading to disparities in obesity and obesity-related morbidities
- Environments and nutrition choices that promote healthy weight
- Evidence-based programs, policies, and interventions to prevent excess weight gain
Although our programs stretch well beyond Little Rock’s boundaries, our location at UAMS uniquely positions us to study obesity in unprecedented ways. From the heart of the state’s largest academic health center, we collaborate with professionals and programs across disciplines to broaden our disease understanding.
Why We Exist
Our mission is to prevent and reduce obesity through programs that improve public health practice, inform policy, enable healthy lifestyles, and provide unparalleled professional opportunities for scholars working to improve the health of all Arkansans.
The Center for the Study of Obesity is an integral part of the UAMS Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health. The Center’s mission aligns with that of the College “to improve the health and well-being of individuals, families, and communities in Arkansas through education, research, and service.”
CSO Projects
Learn more about research and initiatives of the Center for the Study of Obesity.
Meet Our Team
Faculty
Graduate Assistants
Postdoctoral Fellows
Staff
Affiliate Researchers
Matthew J. Barenie, Ph.D.
How We Began
The Governor Sidney S. McMath Endowment supports the Center for the Study of Obesity (CSO). Created by the McMath Woods Law Firm, it fosters and enhances obesity-related research, contributes to the Center’s development, and provides leadership in developing a plan that addresses Arkansas’ significant 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.
News & Announcements
UAMS Researchers Study Effect of Nutritional Support in Cancer Care
A group from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) is leading a study that addresses food security among cancer patients. The UAMS Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health’s Center for the Study of Obesity, along with the UAMS Culinary Medicine program and clinical oncology social workers, are collaborating to conduct the study,…
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UAMS Collaborates with Little Rock School to Promote Healthy Cooking
The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences’ (UAMS) Center for the Study of Obesity collaborated with UAMS Culinary Medicine to pilot a cooking demonstration project at Chicot Elementary and Early Childhood Center in the Little Rock School District (LRSD). The center, which is part of the UAMS Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health, launched…
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NIH Awards UAMS $1.2 Million to Study Impact of Nutrition on Children’s Behavioral, Mental Health Conditions
LITTLE ROCK — The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences’ (UAMS) Center for the Study of Obesity will lead a $1.2 million, multiorganization, three-year research project examining how the availability of school meals benefits the mental and behavioral status of youths. Michael Thomsen, Ph.D., professor in the UAMS Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health…
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UAMS Obesity Center Participates in Meeting Focused on Promoting Health Equity in Little Rock
The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health Center for the Study of Obesity recently hosted a meeting titled “Advancing Health Equity through Little Rock Community Schools” at the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute. Little Rock Community Schools is a collaboration between the City of Little Rock and the Little Rock…
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