Ozarks Profile: Laura Crawford

What is your job?

(As a registered dietician, licensed dietitian and certified diabetes educator), I work with a wonderful team of exercise physiologists, dieticians, psychologists and nurses. I work with people in the public who need to lose anywhere between 20 and 150 pounds. Our joy is to see our participants succeed in improving their health. One of our participants who had been diagnosed with diabetes in the last year has been able to stop one of her medications since she's changed her diet and is exercising regularly.

What is the biggest challenge you see in your work?

One of the biggest challenges in my job is finding ways to help people who have family members who are not supportive, or the family members try to sabotage the participant's efforts to eat well.

How do you address that problem?

Well, trying to let them know if their family won't eat things that the patient feels are appropriate, then encouraging them to have smaller amounts of those foods, or finding other ways to balance it through the day eating lighter other times of the day, working their exercise in, trying a new dish once a week instead of every day.

Do you feel that there's an obesity crisis in society today?

I do. About two-thirds of Americans are overweight to the point where their health may be affected by either high blood pressure, diabetes or orthopedic problems even their self-esteem if they're overweight to the point that they feel uncomfortable.

How do you think we got to a crisis point?

There's a whole host of problems. We've gotten to the point where we're afraid to let our children be outside to play in some neighborhoods. With the popularity of computers and video games, many Americans don't take time to exercise. With the many super-size options and easily accessible high-calorie foods, it makes it hard for people to lose weight.

How do people's perceptions about nutrition need to change?

I think some people think they don't have choices, and each person has the power of choice. We can choose to take time in the evening to prepare something for the next day so we don't have to rely on high calorie, fast-food choices. But even if we are in a situation where we need to eat at a fast-food restaurant, there are choices there. We don't have to choose the super size. I think we need to get away from blaming the industry and take personal responsibility.

Tell us about your family.

My husband, Jim, and I have been married for 11 years. He's a letter carrier and actually gets paid for walking. Yvette and James are my two beautiful Hawaiian stepchildren, and they live and work in Seattle. Jim and I have a cat named Patches.