U.S. program targets obesity at grassroots level

By Anne Harding

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A new program developed by the U.S. government is tackling the obesity epidemic by helping "tween" girls and their parents make small but important changes to build a healthier lifestyle.

The Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Office on Women's Health launched BodyWorks in 2006 by training instructors in the hopes that they would bring the program home to their communities. All materials are provided free, but communities must find the resources to pay trainers and a place to offer the program.

"Throughout the years I've worked with nutritionists, I've worked with diet programs, and it's very frustrating," Dr. Monica Richter, a pediatrician on staff at the Children's Hospital Seattle and a BodyWorks instructor who coordinates fundraising to help support the program, told Reuters Health. "I'm hoping that this will be one of the answers to this growing problem."

Girls 9 to 13 years old who are overweight or obese are referred to BodyWorks through their pediatrician, or by word of mouth. Parents and caregivers attend 10 weekly 90-minute sessions, and girls are expected to show up for at least three. The goal is to give parents and caregivers "hands-on tools to make small behavior changes to prevent obesity and help maintain a healthier weight," according to the BodyWorks Web site (here).

"The very attractive aspect of it is that it addresses the whole family, and the whole environment in the household, which I think is the best approach to childhood obesity," said Richter. "Diet implies a short-term deprivation, which doesn't work."

There are now 1,700 BodyWorks instructors based in 43 states, according to Dr. Wanda Jones, the director of the Office on Women's Health and deputy assistant secretary for women's health at HHS. About 700 parents and caregivers have completed the program.

The goal is not for girls to lose weight, Jones and Richter say, but for families as a whole to begin making healthier choices at the grocery store, to become more active and to spend less time in sedentary activities like watching TV or playing computer games.

Richter is in the second year of offering the program at the Valley Children's Clinic in Renton, Washington, and has expanded it to two other centers in the region with funding from hospitals and a grant.

"What excites me as a practicing pediatrician is the fact that this is something I can offer to my patients which doesn't require any funding," she said. "There's no charge, you don't need insurance payments. All it requires is a commitment of time."

Jones and Richter agree that 10 weeks is a major time commitment for any family, but that shortening the program would likely make it less effective. "Most of us need to hear through multiple channels and multiple times and be supported to change our behavior," Jones said.

HHS will roll out a version of BodyWorks for boys in the next few months, and Jones and her colleagues are also working on culturally appropriate adaptations of the program for Hispanics and Native Americans. They also expect to have completed an evaluation of BodyWorks' effectiveness in raising awareness of healthy habits this fall.

For information on how to find a BodyWorks program or trainer in your area, or guidance on how to become a trainer, go to here