As we enter a new year, millions of people will decide that it is time to give up a bad habit such as overeating or smoking and will try to replace it with a healthy behavior such as exercising or eating a reduced number of calories. Some people will start on January 1 but quit within a few weeks, while others will make the changes last for several months, and a small number will make it to the end of the year! Why some people give up after only a few weeks while others continue to make positive changes for a much longer period remains the 'black box' of health behavior. Unfortunately, many health practitioners will work diligently at trying to help a client lose weight or exercise more with minimal to no understanding of the theoretical underpinnings associated with behavior change theory.

Increasing physical activity, as well as other major life changes, is a complex and dynamic process for people with and without disabilities. In order to explain human behavior and have an influence on changing someone's behavior (i.e., starting a physical activity program), health professionals must understand the various behavior change theories. Here is a quick overview of four of the more popular theories associated with individual health behavior change.

Read the entire column at: http://www.ncpad.org/526/2453/2008-01~Issue~~Breaking~Open~the~Black~Box~to~Behavior~
Change.