Office on Women’s Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Purpose

• To provide parents/caregivers with tools & strategies to improve family eating and activity habits

• To support adolescent girls in reaching and maintaining a healthy weight

• To prevent obesity among adolescent girls

Primary audience• Parents and caregivers of

adolescent girls

Secondary audiences• Adolescent girls

• Other family members

Main Messages

Healthy girls become strong women

Main Messages

Parents are an important influence on their children’s eating and activity habits

Main Messages

Change takes time — begin by taking a few small steps

Formative Research• Literature review• Steering committee of researchers, providers,

government officials, including:- Kelly Brownell, Ph.D., Yale University- Tom Robinson, MD, Stanford University - Kelly Moore, MD, Indian Health Service

• 16 focus groups with:- Girls ages 11 to 13 (8)- Middle-school nurses (2)- Parents of middle school-aged girls (6)

• Telephone interviews with health care providers (9)

Formative Research Findings

Major obstacles: • Poor eating habits, sedentary behavior • Girls need concrete steps, behavioral cues to

change• Parents can play a major role

- Girls want parents to spend more time with them- Girls need role models for healthy eating and

physical activity- Parents need tools to help organize and plan meals

and physical activity- Parents lack time and resources- Parents need basic nutrition information

Pretesting

• Focus groups w/ parents (3)

Results

• Modified some kit components• Added more information on diabetes • Simplified language• Revised design to include more

photographs

Program Components1. BodyBasics (Parent’s Guide)

2. Food and fitness journals

3. Weekly planner (refrigerator

magnet)

4. 4Teens Magazine

5. Recipe book

6. Shopping list

7. DVD on shopping & cooking

8. Pedometers

9. Training Manual (10 sessions)

10.Train-the-Trainer’s Guide

Behavior Change Tips:

• List specific goals regarding change• Create a plan with realistic steps• Start taking small steps that fit your lifestyle• Monitor your progress (using food and fitness journal)• Give yourself a realistic timeframe—months, not days

or weeks—to maintain change• Use the tools and group meetings to reinforce healthy

behaviors

BodyBasicsFormat: • Magazine style

publication for visual appeal

Purpose: • Provides health

information, strategies for healthy eating and regular physical activity

• Explains how to use the toolkit

• Lists resources for families

Approach:

7 Simple Steps to Healthy Living

1. Decide to live a healthy lifestyle

2. See where you are now

3. Understand healthy eating

4. Recognize the benefits of physical activity

5. Set goals and plan

6. Shop, cook, eat together

7. Support a healthier lifestyle for your family

Content highlights:

• Emotional eating

• Unhealthy dieting

• Smoking and weight control

Content highlights:

• Obesity and type 2 diabetes

• Obesity and asthma

• Obesity and cardiovascular disease

• Obesity and eating disorders

Content highlights:

• Serving sizes

• Tips for healthy meals and snacks

• Supersized food portions

• Fast food and soda

Content highlights:

• TV watching

• Physical activity benefits and ideas

• Shopping and cooking tips

Content highlights:• Environmental checklist

• Advocacy in schools and communities

• Media influences

• Community and school

Gardens

Food and Fitness Journals

• Family members to record meals, snacks, activities, and emotions to identify eating and activity habits

• Checklist in BodyBasics helps parents review journal entries

• Goal-setting chart in diaries

Weekly Planner

Format: • Refrigerator magnet

write-on/wipe-off board with pen

Purpose: • To help parents/

caregivers plan meals, snacks, physical activities

Shopping List

Format: • Pad with checklists

Purpose: • To help parents/

caregivers plan shopping trips and choose healthier options

Recipe Book

Purpose:• To provide

families with easy, low-cost recipes for meals and snacks

• To reinforce nutrition and cooking information featured in BodyBasics

BodyWorks 4Teens• Magazine-style publication for

girls (9 to 14)

Publication content

• Self-assessments, quizzes, games, interviews

• Goal-setting tools

• Teen writers/illustrators

Formative research

• Literature review

• Health behavior change theory

• Focus groups

Video/DVD

Format:

• 20-minute video on menu planning, shopping, cooking, and eating and exercising together

Purpose:

• Provides practical demonstrations of menu planning, shopping for healthy foods, cooking, and family meals

Pedometers

Purpose: • To encourage families

to walk as an easy form of daily physical activity

• To support individual in gradually increasing number of steps taken each day

• Two pedometers provided per kit

Train-the-Trainers Guide • 6-hour session• Appendices

- A. Training Tips- B. Behavior Change- C. Resources

Training Manual • Lesson Plans for 10 sessions• Dietary Guidelines, 2005• Consumer brochure• PowerPoint Presentation on

BodyWorks• CD with templates for

recruiting materials• Instructions for ordering

toolkits

• OWH Regional Offices contacted for training-the-trainers session

• OWH (DC) trainers provide training to regional community-based organizations (CBOs), Centers of Excellence (COEs), Community Clinics of Excellence (CCOEs), and State Health Departments

• Trained professionals will:

- Order toolkits

- Recruit parents/caregivers

- Disseminate kits at kickoff meeting

- Conduct 9 follow-up weekly meetings with parents/caregivers

- Train others to be trainers

Community-Based Approach to Distribution

Office of Women’s Health

10 OWH Regional Offices

CBOs, COEs, CCOEs and State Health Departments

Parents/Caregivers

Girls Family