Temple researchers modified a hospital-based obesity program to see if it would work with children at the local community center. “Almost 50 percent of the children were literally off the charts for height and weight, suggesting that there’s a lot of pent-up demand for effective obesity programs in the community,” said Gary Foster, director of Temple’s Center for Obesity Research and Education. He said weight, food choice and activity levels were monitored both at the community center and in the child’s home and obesity rates dropped 10 percent.