Journal of Nutritional Disorders & Therapy

A pilot study to measure the effect of the live fit family challenge on health-related outcomes on adolescents

International Conference on Pediatric Nutrition

August 01-02, 2016 New Orleans, USA

Terri Gibson, Patricia McCarty, Jennie McCary and Kathy Lopez-Bushnell

University of New Mexico, USA

Posters & Accepted Abstracts: J Nutr Disorders Ther

Abstract:

According to the World Health Organization global overweight and obesity rates across all populations have increased significantly in the last 30 years. The literature provides a plethora of proposed interventions designed to address the problem, yet the numbers of obese individuals continues to increase. The cost of obesity is enormous and the associated comorbidities that result are of significant concern. This was a quasi-experimental, evidence-based community and family-focused intervention program. It was designed to include interactive teaching, physical activity sessions, nutritious meals, kids cooking, and small group break-out sessions. The experimental subjects attended weekly meetings lasting 2.5 hours, over the course of 8 consecutive weeks. The target audience was families with school-age children, including teenagers, located in a southwestern urban community. Teen control subjects were recruited from two separate high schools and were measured with the same tools at the same time intervals and did not attend the program. Data collection included anthropometric measurements and Likert scale questionnaires relating to lifestyle habits. Data collection took place at 1-, 8- and 24-week intervals. Statistically significant results were noted for adults and teens on four lifestyle habits. A total of nine Live Fit Family Challenge programs have been implemented in recent years and another study has commenced with adaptations of the original study protocol.

Biography :

Email: tgibson@swau.edu