For inner-city, African American children, we designed a 15 week obesity treatment program that included medical and nutritional evaluation and counseling, behavior therapy, and exercise therapy. Six African American children (5 girls, 1 boy; ages 5-16 years) and their families were enrolled in the initial group. Annual income ranged from < $10,000 to $35,000. Body Mass Indexes (BMIs) ranged from 24.2 to 47.9. Although all children lost weight and made a healthful lifestyle change (i.e., turned off the television during meals, switched from whole to low-fat milk), we encountered unique barriers: 1) Complex living situations: 4/6 children lived in single parent households and relied on extended family members for after-school child care. One family lived with extended family members, all of whom were overweight but uninterested in lifestyle change; 2) Scheduling difficulties: public transportation users had bus trips with multiple transfers; others relied on cars shared with others, making it difficult to arrive to clinic on time from school; and 3) Differences between parental and child motivation: 4/6 children had at least one obese parent. Some parents were unwilling to become involved; others thought their children were not motivated. Although parents were encouraged to participate in the exercise programs, they rarely did. A family-based weight management program for inner-city, low income, African American children can be effective but must include: 1) flexible scheduling, 2) recognition of the complex dynamics in non-traditional family structures, and 3) creative efforts to engage both parents and children.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this session, the participant will be able to anticipate some obstacles to successful weight loss when working with low-income, urban, African American, overweight children
Keywords: Obesity, Family Involvement
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.