To Your Health!
To Your Health! is an 18-week long lifestyle intervention program targeting vulnerable families in Central Texas. This family oriented and culturally sensitive program addresses factors of multigenerational obesity by directing attention to cultural patterns, energy imbalance, physical inactivity, and the need for behavior modification. The program also mitigates the confusion surrounding nutrition and weight loss through education and continuous professional and peer support.
As a result of collaborations with faith-based organizations, schools, and community centers the program is effectively integrated into the community.
To Your Health! includes a combination of:
- cooking workshops
- nutrition workshops
- individual nutrition consultation
- behavior modification counseling
- exercise programs, and
- walking groups.
The nutrition workshops cover diabetes awareness and consumer and food label education; while behavior modification counseling uses techniques to help participants develop:
- Self-control to aid in weight-loss and weight maintenance.
- Self-efficacy for program adherence
- Positive emotional coping responses that provide a framework to change negative behaviors into positive solutions, and
- Self-motivation through the use of reinforcements targeting desired behavior outcomes.
All classes are held in English and Spanish. Exercise classes are offered in collaboration with YMCA and the walking groups are part of the Austin/Travis County Health Department’s Walk Texas program.