Low-income mothers in the Oxford Hills have been targeted by a new state program that wants to teach them, and through them their children, healthy eating and exercise habits.

"When you look at the information regarding socioeconomic status and education, those with lower education and income levels tend to have higher levels of overweight and obesity," said David Crawford, program manager for the Maine Physical Activity and Nutrition Program. "As we try to improve the health status of all Mainers, we need to pay special attention to populations that do experience some disparities."

As part of a burgeoning nationwide effort to slim down the population, the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, through Crawford's division, is designing intervention programs around the state.

This department is one of 28 in the nation that focuses on exercise and healthy eating and receives state-targeted funding from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Maine has been receiving about $450,000 annually since 2003 to build "infrastructure," and could be eligible for about $800,000 if it advances its programming, according to Crawford.

The Oxford Hills Healthy Moms Project is a pilot program for Maine, and if successful at the end of 14 months could be replicated elsewhere around the state.

"Since this is going to be the first effort, we are probably going to put more resources in it," or between $30,000 and $40,000, Crawford said.

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention claims that medical expenses associated with both overweight and obese patients in 1998 cost as much as $78.5 billion and accounted for 9.1 percent of total U.S. medical expenditures. About half of the cost was paid for by Medicare and Medicaid, according to CDCP data.

In Maine, it is estimated that 5.6 percent of the population is obese, and the medical costs associated with obesity are roughly around $357 million a year, with $137 million covered by Maine's Medicare. People who are obese can incur annual doctor bills that are 36 percent higher than those of normal weight, according to reports used by the Maine CDC.

The Oxford Hills program has three different components: A cooking class, an exercise piece, and a buying system that is designed to help mothers purchase vegetables and fruits more cheaply.

Ken Morse, head of Healthy Oxford Hills, a partner in this new program, said he hopes the cooking classes will incorporate produce from local farmers. The classes will be taught by nutritionists at the University of Maine's Cooperative Extension school in Paris, Crawford said.

The exercise program works as a partnership, with mothers teaming up to exercise together and motivate one another.

And the buying program will work with the cooperative Fare Share Market in Norway to offer wholesale prices to the mothers if they buy fruits and vegetables collectively.

A coordinating council of moms will be established, too, to give feedback about the program.

So far, the program has recruited only four women, Crawford said, and it might be difficult to attract more because mothers tend to be busy. But Crawford said they are critical in the battle against obesity.

"Moms tend to be a group that is a little more interested or focused on health for their families. They are at that stage where they are more likely to change or improve their behaviors," Crawford said. "If we move them along that continuum of behavior change they will hopefully lead the way along for others as well."