Women of Wellness WOW: A Healthy Lifestyle Program for the Women of KBIC

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Women of Wellness (WOW)A Healthy Lifestyle
Program for the Women of KBIC

• Dale Schmeisser, PhD, RD
• Ruth Keller, RN
• Katie Stanaway, BA
• Keweenaw Bay Indian Community
• Baraga MI

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The Keweenaw
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Donald A LaPointe Health Center

• Comprehensive Health Care
• Medical, Dental, WIC, Healthy Start, Behavioral
  Health, etc
• Opportunities for coordinating efforts
• The WOW program took advantage of existing
  personnel and network

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Objectives of WOW

• 1) Document prevalence of obesity in KBIC women
• 2) Effect 10 weight reduction in KBIC women
• 3) Increase the percentage of women who eat 5 or
  more fruits and vegetables daily by 10.

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Overweight rates in KBIC women

• RPMS Data 87 of women age 18-49
• WIC Data 60 of enrolled women
• KBIC influenced by State-wide as well as tribal
  influences
• Overweight prevalence in women of other tribes
• Pima 80
• Eastern Cherokee 59
• Navajo 50
• Lakota 66
• 
  (Story, et al 1999)

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How do I get down to the weight I thought Id
never get up to?
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WOW Program

• Pilot healthy lifestyle and weight management
  program for KBIC women
• Initial focus was on young women
• The Healthy Weigh
• Evolved to include all adult KBIC women
• Healthy Lifestyles
• Women of Wellness (WOW)

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Description of WOW

• Met weekly for 2 years
• Noon on Tuesdays
• Regular weigh-ins (at least monthly)
• Lunch
• Presentation/Discussion
• Occasional incentives based on
• Attendance (attended 3 of 4 weeks during month)
• Eligibility for a drawing based on achieving
• weight loss or maintenance

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Wellness Model
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WOW Program Description

• Rolling enrollment
• Not a set curriculum
• Individual session with RD offered
• Women could also use other resources
• Diet books
• Weight Watchers
• OA

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Multidisciplinary approach

• Healthy EatingRD, Health educator
• Education, food demos, experiential learning
• BehaviorCertified Addictions Counselor
• Emotional and behavioral aspects of eating
• Removing barriers to change
• Activity
• Education, encouragement
• Increasing access to exercise
• KBOCCgym available

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Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College
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Lunches-an important teaching tool

• Variety of strategies
• Familiar foods in new combinations
• Alternatives to familiar foods
• Novel foods
• Heavy on fruits and vegetables
• Considerations of cost, practicality, prep-time
• Incorporate traditional foods where appropriate

Believe It Or Not, a tasty low-cal brat!!
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Lunches

• 350-450 Calories
• Usually low fat (lt25 of calories)
• Generous in fruit and/or vegetables
• Whole grainsincluding pastas, buns, rice, etc
• Low in added sugars
• Calorie-free beveragesoften water
• High nutrient density, low energy density
• Fill you up, keep you full all afternoon

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WOW Program Results

• Participants
• 61 women participated long enough for pre- and
  post-program weights
• Period of participation 1-24 months
• Completed baseline food intake questionnaires
• (Block FFQ)
• Most women also completed post-participation FFQs

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Weight change
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Weight changes in WOW women

• Frequency of significant weight loss
• 11/61 lost gt 5 of starting weight
• 7/61 lost gt10
• Range
• 1 lost 34 of starting weight
• 2 others lost about 20

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What are KBIC women eating?

• Fruit and vegetable intake better than expected
• 42 consume 5 or more servings of vegetables
  daily
• 62 consume at least 4 servings of F/V daily
• However, 27 consume lt 3 servings daily.

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Baseline Intakes of WOW Participants
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Observations on WOW

• Women of KB IC achieved healthier lifestyles and
  modest weight loss
• Desire evident among community women
• WOW participants are vanguards who will plant
  seeds of change
• Requires long-term, consistent staff commitment
• Experiential learning was key
• Attention to behavioral and emotional factors

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