Skills Training Within a Family-based Obesity Treatment Intervention

Family-based obesity treatment interventions can successfully reduce weight in children, but
are often limited in the practice of skills being taught during treatment sessions.

Skills training focused on a particular behavioral strategy can provide parents with an
experiential component of learning where the information learned as part of a family-based
obesity treatment intervention is also practiced. Health education simply provides knowledge
to a family about a topic.

Inclusion Criteria:

- caregiver of child is ≥18 years of age;

- the caregiver has a child between the ages of 4 and 8 years-old who is classified as
overweight (body mass index for age ≥ 85th percentile);

- the caregiver and child are able to read, speak and understand English due to delivery
of the program in English;

- has transportation to the University of Delaware; and

- is willing and able to commit to the 3-month study.

Exclusion Criteria:

- the child has a medical condition impacting physical activity or eating (e.g. Type

1 or Type 2 diabetes);

- the child have a medical condition that affects growth (e.g. Prader Willi Syndrome);

- the child is currently participating in a weight management program, and/or taking
weight loss medication; or

- the caregiver or child has an inability to participate in regular physical activity.