Among overweight adolescents, does a community based program (Curtin Activity, Food and Attitudes Program) lead to improved activity and food behaviours?

Intensive 8 week period involving twice weekly sessions of 2 hours duration followed by 12 weeks of maintenance contact. On entry into the study participants will be assessed and be placed on a waitlist for 8-12weeks before being assessed again prior to starting the intensive 8 week program. This waitlist period will provide a within-subject control period. Participants will be assessed at the end of the 8 week intensive program and again after 3, 6 and 12 months. Cohorts of 10-15 adolescents (along with a parent for each) will be recruited in 2-3 geographical regions with multiple cohorts in each region. The staggered start to the multiple cohorts in each region provides a control over major external events. The intensive program involves 1 hour of exercise and 1 hour education and support twice weekly for adolescents. Exercises include aerobic, strength, power and endurance stations and are performed in a group setting administered by a physiotherapist. Education and support covers activity, food and attitudes. Activity intervention includes education to improve moderate/vigorous physical activity, light activity and sedentary behaviours. Food intervention includes education to improve healthy eating behaviours. Attitude intervention includes goal setting, problem solving, affect regulation. Education sessions are administered in a group setting by one of the physiotherapy, nutrition, social work or psychology facilitators. The intensive program includes 2 hours of education and support for parents of the adolescents. Some sessions are combined with adolescents. Other sessions include 'walk and talk' informal support, supermarket buying skills, snack and meal preparation skills, providing autonomy support for adolescents. The 2 hour twice weekly adolescent and parent sessions during the intensive phase occur concurrently, with some joint education sessions. The 3 month maintenance program includes several reminders and review of goal setting each week using information technologies (phone, SMS, email, web) and occaisonal group meetings.