Adapting an obesity prevention program for kids to high-risk adults in the doctor’s office
The Bienestar health program, developed in San Antonio at the nonprofit Social & Health Research Center, has been used in elementary and middle schools in San Antonio and South Texas for more than 20 years to teach children the skills they need to stay healthy and avoid the twin epidemics of obesity and diabetes.
New research published this week looked at the effectiveness of adapting the Bienestar program for older, high-risk adults in a primary care setting. In recent years, Medicare has provided a modest reimbursement for intensive behavior therapy for obesity, making this approach feasible. The promising results of the study will be discussed at a news conference on Wednesday.
WHAT: The first research to measure the effectiveness of Medicare-funded intensive behavior therapy for obesity in a primary care setting
WHO:- Theresa De La Haya, senior vice president of community health and clinical prevention programs, University Health System (welcome)
- Dr. Roberto Trevino, architect of the Bienestar health program and director of the Social &Health Research Center in San Antonio
- Study participants (both English- and Spanish-speaking)
WHEN: 10 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 14
WHERE: Texas Diabetes Institute Board Room, 701 S. Zarzamora St
