The proposed demonstration and evaluation project will investigate the effectiveness of a culturally adapted version of the HELP Your Heart Eating Plan and behavioral weight control program within a Mexican American (MA) community. Mexican Americans make up approximately one-fifth of the population in Texas but are not experiencing the decreases in cardiovascular disease (CVD) that have beed found within the white and black populations in the state. Obesitiy is a major health problem within the MA population and may account, in part, for their higher risk for CVD, as it is associated with hypertension; elevated lipids; diabetes and other categories of glucose intolerance; and low levels of cardiovascular fitness. The purpose of the proposed study is to assist young MA families in developing a more active approach to family health and incorporate dietary and physical activity patterns which promote 1) reducing the risk of CVD, hypertension, and diabetes; 2) achieving ideal weight; and 3) the prevention of obesity and CVD in children. Social learning theory and social support provide the basis for behavior change. Recognizing the importance of family social support within the MA family and the familial clustering of obesity and other risk factors, the proposed project will compare a family-oriented intervention to a more traditional individual-oriented treatment program. One hundred and eighty families will be followed for one to three years after treatment to evaluate the long-term effectiveness of the intervention. The investigators will conduct a randomized replication time-series design involving MA residents of Rosenberg and Richmond, Texas. Participants will be families in which one or both parents a) are 20% over ideal body weight, b) are between the ages of 18 and 45, and c) have a child in the three to six year age range. Families will be randomly assigned to a diet booklet only group, to an individual oriented condition, or to a family oriented intervention. A total of 540 individuals, 180 families of two adults and one child, will participate in the study. The emphasis of the proposed study is to assist young MA families develop enduring life style changes in eating and exercise habits which promote cardiovascular health, nonobesity, fitness, and the reduction of hypertension and diabetes.
| Foreyt, J P; Goodrick, G K (1991) Factors common to successful therapy for the obese patient. Med Sci Sports Exerc 23:292-7 |
| Goodrick, G K; Foreyt, J P (1991) Why treatments for obesity don't last. J Am Diet Assoc 91:1243-7 |
| Foreyt, J P (1987) Issues in the assessment and treatment of obesity. J Consult Clin Psychol 55:677-84 |
