Description/Overview: Obesity in adolescents is a major global public health problem that leads to several adverse health outcomes, including Type 2 diabetes, sleep problmes, hypertension and mental health disorders. The prevalence of obesity is even higher in minority teens. Despite its rapidly increasing incidence and adverse health outcomes, there have been very few intervention studies conducted with adolescents to improve their healthy lifestyle behaviors. Of those studies conducted, sustainable improvements in healthy lifestyle behaviors have rarely been supported. Thus, there is a tremendous need for intervention research that uses an innovative approach to improving healthy lifestyle behaviors in this high risk population. The purpose of this symposium will be to highlight the COPE TEEN (thinking, emotions, exercise and nutrition)program, which incorporates a strong cognitive-behavioral skills building component, as an innovative approach to improving healthy lifestyle choices and behaviors in adolescents. In the first presentation, cognitive behavior theory as a framework for developing the COPE TEEN program will be described. The second presentation will describe the relationship between cognitions in the form of healthy lifestyle beliefs and healthy lifestyle choices/behaviors. The third presentation will focus on the relationship between cognitions in the form of perceived difficulty in leading a healthy lifestyle between overweight and non-overweight teens, which provides support for targeting cognitive beliefs and perceived difficulty in interventions to enhance healthy lifestyle behaviors in adolescents. Implications for both future research and clinical practice will be highlighted.

Learner Objective #1: Describe how cognitive-behavioral skills building is an innovative approach to promoting healthy lifestyle behaviors in adolescents.

Learner Objective #2: Discuss the relationships among cognition in the form of healthy lifestyle beliefs and perceived difficulty, and healthy lifestyle choices and behaviors.