Although participants reduced their intake of animal products, no one permanently adopted a vegetarian diet as a result of the course. Acceptance of diet concepts was similar among Latino and African American participants. Themes related to acceptance of vegetarianism are listed in Table 3. Decreasing fat through limits on daily fat gram intake, was cited most frequently as the most important thing learned and was one of the behaviors maintained after the program ended.

The core foods, legumes, vegetables, and grains, were familiar to the majority of participants, though they had been previously considered by some participants to be “poor foods” that were eaten when one could not afford meat. Several women expressed relief on learning to prepare tasty, nutritious meals without having to focus on meat. Participants also reported that the course provided new ways to cook old foods.

A Comparison of the Spanish and English Language Courses
The most notable difference between the Spanish and English language courses was the striking industriousness and curiosity of the participants in the Spanish sessions. Their keen interest to expose themselves to new information raised the level of interaction in the class. On the first day of each Take Charge class, participants observed a cooking demonstration and tasted the new, healthier foods. Thereafter, the Spanish courses took on a life of their own with participants exchanging new recipes and bringing food to share with the class on a regular basis although financially, the Spanish language class members were no better off than their English language counterparts. In sharp contrast to the common perception of poorly educated, recent immigrants as clinging to their traditional lifestyles, Latino participants in the Spanish language course enthusiastically adopted the new, healthier methods of cooking to prepare traditional recipes and also incorporated American recipes taught in the class into their daily diet. The women came eager to learn and ready to adopt new behaviors. They reported a strong appreciation for the self-esteem content of the class and a desire to protect their children from the problems they had experienced as a result of being overweight. Since these women were responsible for cooking for their families, the changes they made impacted larger numbers of people.

In comparison, the English language courses seemed more complacent. Many expressed a desire to do something with their lives but felt that their health would not permit it, or they worried that doing so would jeopardize their eligibility for disability income. There seemed to be a subgroup with a lower sense of self-efficacy and a greater dependence on the class instructors to help them set targets and meet their goals. Although they were willing to follow instructions and complete home assignments, the participation of this subgroup was more passive.