There are very few research studies addressing the role of work in the development of overweight and obesity and even fewer centering on low-wage work settings, such as food service personnel, hotel workers and non-professional health workers. The Center for the Promotion of Health in the New England Workplace (CPH-NEW) at UMass-Lowell recently completed such a study and presented the major findings on November 13, 2012 at the SEIU Local 888 headquarters in Boston. Fall River Mass In Motion Coordinator Julie Kelly and Partners Worksite Wellness Coordinator Angela Braz participated in the conference along with Healthy City Fall River Coordinator David Weed. Following brief presentations by two of the research participants, a panel of experts commented on the major findings of the report. The group then broke up into seven discussion groups to come up with their own recommendations and then made a commitment to follow through with continued work on the topic. Click here for 27-minute video of the conference. Click here for photos from the recent Southcoast Worksite Health conference in Fall River. For further information on local worksite wellness efforts, contact Julie Kelly at 508-324-2411 or Angela Braz at 774-400-4466.  

(Top row, center) Fall River Mass In Motion coordinator Julianne Kelly talks with Mari Ryan, CEO of Advancing Wellness, and Worksite Wellness coordinator Angela Braz after arriving at SEIU 888 headquarters in North Boston. (Top row, right) Craig Andrade from the Mass. Department of Public Health chats with Ms. Kelly before the conference begins. (Row two, left) Nicole Champagne, associate Professor at UMass-Lowell's Center for Health in the New England Workplace (CPH-NEW), leads off the conference with a summary of the research results. (Row two, right) Research Outreach Volunteer Ana Montesinos describes some of her experiences in low-wage work and the effect on her diet. (Row three, left) L. Casey Chosewood, MD of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Total Worker Health program talks about the implications of the research report. (Row three, center) Mirna Montano and Marcy Goldstein-Gelb of MassCOSH invite comments from the panel which included Ms. Ryan, Anne McHugh from the Boston Public Health Commission and Dr. Chosewood. (Bottom row) Ms. Kelly, Ms. Braz and Suzanne Nobrega of CPH-NEW listen as a report from one of the discussion groups is given by Dr. Weed.