Healthy Living, Happy Living / Vida Sana, Vida Feliz is an after-school, family-based obesity program funded by multiple local philanthropic partners and the Children's Medical Center Foundation. The highly ambitious and productive program has been featured on the cover of the March 2009 edition of Texas Medicine.
The innovative program, offered in both English and Spanish, incorporates the four key components of successful obesity interventions:
- Physical education/activity
- Nutrition
- Mental health/behavior change
- Family involvement
The 10-week program targets overweight and obese children aged 6 to 11 years old and their parents/guardians, and focuses on providing tools for families to empower them to make healthy changes.
Since beginning in January 2009, many children and their parents/guardians have completed the program with promising results. With continued funding and support, Dr. Avila Edwards and her team plan to expand the program to include more participants and activities in the near future.
