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t m c » p u l s e | a u g u s t 2 0 1 4 39 t m c » p u l s e | a u g u s t 2 0 1 4 as no advice, maintain, gain, or lose weight, and BMI was categorized as normal, overweight, class I obese, and class II or III obese. We used multino- mial logistic regression to estimate the odds of receiving weight advice by age and BMI categories. Ninety-six percent of firefighters reported visiting an HCP in the past year. Sixty-nine percent of firefighters and 48 percent of class I to III obese firefighters reported receiving no weight advice. Higher BMI predicted HCP advice to lose weight. Younger firefighters were less likely to receive weight loss advice than older firefight- ers, except among those who were class II or III obese. "Firefighters have extremely tough and stressful jobs," Day said. "But these are our first responders. They need to be cared for, and they need to be fit." Day said she hopes the study will encourage doctors to screen all patients for weight and talk about how to lose it without waiting for a person to develop diabetes or hypertension. The study was published in the July 10 issue of the Center for Disease Control's journal Preventing Chronic Disease. — Hannah Rhodes, UTHealth in indoor sports ranging from ballroom dancing to volleyball. Throughout the week, there were tributes and special celebrations for donor families to honor the legacy of their loved ones. On the final day of the games, medals were awarded to winners of all the competitions. Team Texas, by a combined effort of their 300 member team, took home the Spirit Award. The award was well deserved for a team whose state has more than doubled the number of registered donors in the past two years. At the closing ceremony, new friends and old friends shared their goodbyes. Families celebrated their loved ones' achievements, whether they came in first or last. Everyone was proud of the collective efforts. Robert C. Robbins, M.D., president and chief executive officer of the Texas Medical Center and honorary chair of the Transplant Games of America Local Organizing Committee felt especially grateful for being a part of the event and the real-life connections he made. "It was an honor and a privilege to have been involved in the Transplant Games, and to have had the opportu- nity to welcome all of the transplant recipients, living donors and donor families to the great state of Texas," said Robbins. "The energy surrounding the games was incredible, and it was great to see such tremendous involve- ment from the medical center and the local community. It was also personally rewarding to see a former patient of mine, a lung recipient from California, enjoying the games and celebrating the gift of life. Stories like hers, and those of all of the athletes we met during the games, truly demonstrate why organ donor registration is so important." — Zoe Quezada, Texas Medical Center Texas Wins in More Ways than One at Transplant Games of America the energy surrounding the games was incredible, and it was great to see such tremen- dous involvement from the medical center and the local community. — RoBeRT c. RoBBins, m.D. President and CEO of the Texas Medical Center, and honorary Chair of the Transplant Games of america Local Organizing Committee H ouston made history this year during the Transplant Games of America, where more than 3,000 people participated in the biannual event to celebrate the gift of life and the advancements of life-saving transplant surgery, the largest turn out in the event's 22-year history. Transplant recipients, living donors, donor families and their supporters gathered from across the country, with some traveling from as far as Puerto Rico, to come together for the five-day multi-sport festival. Local organizers said they were thrilled to have so many people partici- pate in the event, which aims to inspire more people to become registered organ donors. "These Games symbolized hope in its greatest form for transplant recipients and donor families," said Kevin Myer, president and CEO of LifeGift. "For transplant recipients, the Games demonstrated that one can overcome remarkable odds and still live life to the fullest; for donor families, the Games were a way to pay tribute to those who have left lasting legacies through their generous gifts of organ, eye and tissue donation." The event featured a variety of activ- ities for the participants and the public. The opening ceremony was held at BBVA Compass Stadium and included a parade of athletes and volunteers, a presentation of a balloon sculpture created with the assistance of lung transplant recipients, fireworks and a performance by American Idol finalist Scott MacIntyre. Rice University co-hosted the track and field and aquatic events, while downtown others gathered for cycling events, and at the George R. Brown con- vention center participants competed O bese and overweight firefighters are not receiving weight manage- ment advice from their health care pro- viders, according to new research from The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth). "There are a lot of firefighters who are in great shape, but many are not," said Rena Sue Day, Ph.D., primary author of the study and associate pro- fessor of epidemiology at the Michael & Susan Dell Center for Health Living at the UTHealth School of Public Health. "Bigger doesn't always mean stronger, there's a difference between fitness and being big." National guidelines state that health care professionals (HCPs) should advise patients on the impor- tance of maintaining a healthy weight. Firefighters have high rates of obesity, and cardiovascular events—often related to diet and weight—are the leading cause of line-of-duty deaths in firefighters. This study assessed the association of age and body mass index (BMI) with HCP weight recommenda- tions among male firefighters. Researchers used data on self-re- ported HCP weight recommendations and measured BMI from a 2011–2012 national sample of male firefighters. HCP recommendations were recorded Obese Firefighters Report No Weight Advice from Health Providers rena sue day, Ph.d., and doctoral candidate Michelle L. Wilkinson have focused their research on the health of firefighters across the country. (Credit: uThealth)

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