Current Participation Criteria

Because of these original participation criteria, SisterTalk Hartford has been proven effective only for women who meet those eligibility criteria. However, many women with the health conditions listed above may find the SisterTalk New York program beneficial. We strongly encourage all women who participate to do so under the guidance of their medical provider.

Results from the original study showed the following:

  1. African American and Black women participating in SisterTalk sessions were 2.6 times more likely to lose weight than similar women who were not participating.

  2. Women who participated in the second round of SisterTalk were as likely to lose weight as women in the first round.

  3. More than half (55%) of the women attending sessions lost weight and another 8% did not gain weight for the duration of the program.

  4. The effects of the healthy lifestyle program were long-term—66% of women who lost weight maintained this loss or continued to lose weight up to 11 months after completion of program.

  5. The SisterTalk Hartford program was continued by 67% of the participating churches, suggesting that it is an acceptable and appropriate healthy lifestyle program for community churches.

  6. Participants were very satisfied with the program – 90% of women rated the program 8 or higher on a 10 point satisfaction scale.

  7. Participants enjoyed the group support and sisterhood of the sessions as much as they appreciated the weight loss. As one woman said, "It is not what we lost, but what we gained."