Healthy Living, Happy Living: The Effectiveness of a Family-Based Obesity Intervention for English and Spanish Speaking Families

Abstract

Background: The prevalence of individuals with obesity and overweight has increased 200-500% since the 1980’s and is now at epidemic levels throughout the developed world.1 The prevalence of obesity in children has been increasing since 1988.2 Best practices for intervention in the pediatric population have been established and are family-based and multi-disciplinary. 3 However, interventions for ethnically diverse populations are understudied. 4 Hispanics are projected to constitute 30.2% of America’s population by 2050, and have a higher prevalence of obesity compared to non-Hispanic white persons.5 Therefore, effective interventions that …