Health Talk

Jayne Fulkerson, Ph.D., is an associate professor in the University of Minnesota’s School of Nursing

As a mother who sees a great benefit in family meals and a person who loves to cook, Jayne Fulkerson combined her personal interests with her professional passion and created the HOME Plus program.  HOME Plus aims to combat childhood obesity by teaching nutrition education and cooking skills for the whole family.

“When it comes to eating and exercise, parents are the primary role models for children,” Fulkerson says. “HOME Plus is unique because it focuses on behavior changes and helping families work together to make the home environment healthier by promoting nutritious family meals and snacks while reducing inactivity within the home.”

For Fulkerson, the most rewarding part of her job is seeing what started off as an idea for survey research turn into a research program that has been producing a positive impact in the community.

That’s something we can all applaud.

For more Academic Health Center Gamechangers, visit the Health Talk blog every Friday.