Does A Community Based Program to Improve Health for People who are Obese Work?

Obesity rates in New Brunswick are the highest in Canada. What can be done to reduce the obesity levels in New Brunswick? No "magic bullet" exists. In this public presentation, a panel of experts will examine one tool in the toolkit of the obesity reduction instruments. A research team based in Fredericton, NB received CIHR grants for the Healthy Eating, Active Living for Tomorrow's Health (HEALTH) study. The team developed an intervention based on moderate physical activity, nutritional education and goal setting, over a 12 month period, for two rural and two urban groups of people with obesity. The good news is that the active six month intervention was successful and participants' health outcomes improved considerably. The not so good news is that after the six months of self-management many of the participants' health outcomes reverted back to base-line. The bad news is that the intervention had a high drop-out rate. From the study we learned that it is difficult for many people living with obesity to make lifestyle change, but it is not impossible and is worth doing. In this Scientific Café we would like to have an honest discussion about the challenges and rewards of trying to make lifestyle changes.