In far too many cases, weight management within the family is a tricky proposition. An existing problem might be so troublesome that just one more aggravation could be disastrous. For instance, if either the mother or father is a step-parent, psychological issues might be messing things up already — to the point where sensitivity about a child’s weight problem could only make matters worse. Even if both are the natural parents, one of them might take an unsympathetic attitude like, “Nobody in my family is fat. That comes from your side, so you deal with it.”
About a decade ago, the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior published a study of the program (based on Social Cognitive Theory) known as Fit Families, focused on self-perception among the child participants. The entire family-based program was delivered over seven weeks, with each session lasting nearly three hours, and it wasn’t just talk.
Sessions began with a meal as an incentive for attendance, to make attendance more manageable for busy families, and served as examples of nutritious, quick meal plans that families could replicate at home.
Following this, a registered dietician delivered nutritional information; another pro suggested and demonstrated physical activities; and a counselor talked about positive attitudes. The study’s lead author, Martha Archuleta (Ph.D., RD), wrote, “Goal-setting was stressed during the sessions and each topic included a hands-on activity and discussion.”
The key word is fitness
A different program with the same Fit Families name (which is, after all, a rather obvious choice) was begun in conjunction with the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and WIC. Participating families are encouraged to follow three basic precepts: move more, make every bite count, and make every sip count.
“Move more” also encompasses the goal of watching less — in other words, of cutting down screen time, especially the passive kind. Ideally, the aim is to accomplish at least an hour of physical activity each day, while limiting TV, gaming, and other screen-oriented activities to two hours per day or less. Other goals include the consumption of more fruits and vegetables. Sugar-based beverages are definitely discouraged, while straight water, and lots of it, is strongly recommended.
This particular program is aimed at children from two to four years of age, which makes excellent sense because when they are so young, they absorb behavioral suggestions like little sponges. Of course, this tendency can be problematic, because they also regard every single thing they see their parents do as not only suggested, but mandatory.
The magic words — numerous and frequent
Some truths we just intuitively grasp, because real-life evidence makes them so obvious. Hold your hand over a fire, and barring an extremely rare and improbable circumstance, you will soon be inspired to pull it away. Duh! But science does not operate on that principle, and neither does government funding. In most cases, “It’s just common sense” is not a viable case.
For an idea to earn credibility and funding, generally the first requirement is a demonstrable fact: proven by experienced scientific experts, documented by qualified scholars, and verified by additional competent authorities.
This will hardly come as a surprise, but if the goal is obesity prevention in children (or weight loss among the already obese), efforts toward change work better if they are numerous and frequent. Consequently, a few years back, a study was performed to prove that “Interventions implemented at a greater frequency and number were associated with improved weight loss compared to less frequent sessions.”
A high-intensity program works better than the other kind, and works best if administered in a strict academic setting. That stubborn fact provides plenty of opportunity for graduate students to prove their worth, because they are expected to figure out how to turn aspiration and intention into accomplishment.
In the world, what works for everybody, all the time? Almost nothing. Even the dreaded dengue fever fails to consistently overcome its targets. It kills at least 20,000 victims every year, but at the same time, a lot of people who catch it don’t really catch it, in the sense that they fail to develop any symptoms. When even such a horrible disease “can’t win ’em all,” surely no anti-obesity program can be expected to produce guaranteed results.
Your responses and feedback are welcome!
Source: “Family-based weight management program improved self-perception among obese children,” ScienceDaily.com, 06/06/16
Source: “High intensity specialized intervention content following family-based intervention yields improved,” 2MinuteMedicine.com, 11/07/17
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