BY KAREN OTT MAYER

Since 2003, the Healthy Memphis Common Table has been working to change the culture of Memphians for the better. According to recent studies and statistics from several organizations, including the Center for Disease Control (CDC), Memphians leading poor lifestyles are contributing to the increase in obesity and diabetes.

"We wanted to see if we could reverse the trend," said Denise Bollheimer, vice president of UT Medical Group, Inc. and the chair of the HMCT.

Bollheimer explained that much of the problem results from lifestyle, but that if a person is predisposed to diabetes, then the chances of developing the disease increases with poor lifestyle choices.

Healthy Memphis continues to pursue the lofty goal of understanding the culture and finding answers to what causes it. Earlier this year, Memphis hosted the Shaping America's Youth Town Meeting and what resulted was a clear, focused plan for the next two years. Together with its community partners, HMCT has launched over 30 projects in 2006 to reverse the obesity and diabetes trend, especially among children.

"We're trying to reach anyone and anybody within their sphere of influence. This could mean a company planning a healthier lunch for a regular employee luncheon meeting or reaching people through a Wednesday evening choir practice. We may be in different places, but the message is the same," said Bollheimer.

Other projects, such as a baseball event that just took place and will be repeated, require true hands-on community involvement.

"We took inner city kids to the ball fields in Cordova to teach them baseball and give them the opportunity to learn and enjoy the ball fields which they don't have in their part of town," said Bollheimer. The event attracted many volunteers, including three Shelby County commissioners and Mayor A.C. Wharton.

Another program called Body Works is designed with adolescent girls in mind. "The idea here is to teach these young girls to be active and that exercise is cool," said Bollheimer.

During the summer of 2006, Memphis was one of four communities across the nation chosen for a $605,000 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Aligning Forces for Quality grant.

The challenge for the next two years is daunting, but Bollheimer said that Healthy Memphis currently has only one problem. "We have had such overwhelming success, that we now have more ideas than we can implement," she said.

Healthy Memphis has approximately 600 community partners and a core group of 50 dedicated volunteers and leaders.




November 2006