The effectiveness of a multidisciplinary, personalized lifestyle intervention program of diet, sleep and physical activity in the management of overweight and obesity in adolescence

Introduction: Overweight and obesity in adolescence represents a major health concern globally, owing to the associated increased morbidity and mortality in adulthood. The prevalence of overweight and obesity in adolescents in Greece is 41% and is the highest among European countries. The aim of our study was to assess the effectiveness of a multidisciplinary, personalized, life-style intervention program of diet, sleep and exercise in the management of overweight and obesity in adolescence. Methods: Five hundred and forty-four (544) adolescents (mean age ± standard deviation (SD): 12.29±2.10 years; 328 females, 216 males) were studied prospectively for 1 year. Participants were classified as having severe obesity (n=192 35.3%), obesity (n=107, 19.7%), overweight (n=161, 29.6%) or normal Body Mass Index (BMI) (n=84, 15.4%) according to the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) cut-off points. All subjects received multidisciplinary, personalized advice on diet, sleep and exercise at frequent intervals for a period of 1 year. Detailed clinical evaluation and laboratory investigations were performed at the beginning and the end of the study. Results: Adolescents with obesity and severe obesity had significantly higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure, as well as a more adverse cardiometabolic profile compared with their overweight and normal BMI counterparts. At the end of the study, obesity rates decreased by 15%, severe obesity rates by 33.8% and a significant improvement in most cardiometabolic risk factors was noted. Conclusion: These findings indicate that a multidisciplinary, personalized, lifestyle intervention program is effective at reducing the prevalence of overweight and obesity in adolescence.