Since Dr. Cathy Little came to El Buen Samaritano Episcopal Mission in 1996 she has been addressing the issue of childhood obesity both as a pediatrician volunteering in El Buen's Wallace Mallory Clinic and as a member of the board. In the clinic Dr. Little saw firsthand that a crisis was emerging before it became widely known as a prevalent issue throughout the nation. In board meetings she was able to translate the experiences of front-line staff, serve as a liaison to the director and help devise an innovative solution to a growing problem.
One of the challenges the Wallace Mallory Clinic staff faced as they tried to combat childhood obesity was the cultural issues that come with treating a population primarily composed of first and second generation immigrants. This required Dr. Little and her team to delicately address the client's cultural sensibilities while still stressing nutrition and exercise to both parents and children and connecting the families with a nutritionist and a specialist.
Understanding the cultural issues has led Dr. Little to carefully address the health concerns of obesity to ensure that parents and children recognize that being overweight is a conduit to a life of chronic diseases. There are hundreds of cases that can be used to illustrate how Dr. Little and the staff of El Buen Samaritano exemplify some of the best practices when it comes to battling childhood obesity, one good example is the case of "Miguel."
When "Miguel" and his parents came to El Buen Samartino he was 13-years-old. At the time Dr. Little noticed that the boy was gradually gaining weight. She informed the parents of the problem and offered them ideas on ways they could take action to prevent him from becoming obese.
However, like many of El Buen Samartino's clients "Miguel" and his parents were not able to maintain a schedule of regular clinic visits so it was three years before the staff of El Buen Samartino saw them again. After "Miguel" turned 16-years-of-age he and his parents came to see Dr. Little for a physical exam. He was hoping to participate in athletics at his high school. After performing the physical, Dr. Little told "Miguel's" parents that he had now become overweight. She immediately sent "Miguel" to El Buen's nutritionist.
