Sharkey to present on obesity and food insecurity in the border colonias at the 12th International Congress on Obesity

Joseph R. Sharkey, Ph.D., M.P.H., R.D., professor with the Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Rural Public Health, has been invited to present at the 12th International Congress on Obesity (ICO) that will be held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on March 17-20. ICO is a scientific program occurring every four years that brings together experts in the field of obesity to share their experiences and knowledge regarding this growing epidemic. Sharkey will be giving three presentations at this year’s event on obesity in the Texas-Mexico border colonias: “Reliance by Mexican-origin Children on Neighborhood Vendedores (Mobile Vendors) for After-School and Weekend Snacks in Texas Border Colonias”; “Thinking Outside the Meals: How a Community Collaborative Summer Meals Program Influenced Nutrition Knowledge and Skills, Physical Activity, and Social Interaction among Mexican-origin Children”; and “Coexistence of Obesity and Hunger among Mexican-origin Adults in Texas Border Colonias.”

Sharkey is founding director of the Program for Research and Outreach-Engagement on Nutrition and Health Disparities at the Texas A&M School of Rural Public Health and directs a community-engaged initiative, Construyendo Comunidades Fronterizas Más Sanas [Building Healthier Border Communities]. He is a renowned expert in the field of food insecurity and childhood obesity, particularly in communities along the Texas-Mexico border.