Obesity a family matter: creating new behavior.

The family as culture transmitter plays a role in the development of health maintenance practices. A review of the epidemiological variables associated with obesity suggests that familial factors--genetic and environmental--have a significant effect on the onset, causes, and prognosis of treatment. Chances of success in losing weight may depend upon the extent of family functioning or upon finding a support system within and/or outside the family. The weight control program described is family oriented. Life-style changes learned in the group meetings reach home and affect family members. Four-pronged in its approach (nutrition, behavior change, exercise, and a positive support system), the program uses "skill builders," which are special situational modules that deal with specific family situations. A skill builder offers a step-by-step guided approach to identifying and changing problem behavior in the area of diet and exercise, e.g., eating in social situations, new food shopping patterns, and the role of significant others in the weight loss process.