An investigation of two parental involvement roles in the treatment of obese children

In a behavioral weight loss program for children, parental involvement in two different roles (i.e., helper or weight loss) was compared for an extended period of time. The helper role targeted behaviors that specifically facilitated the child's weight-loss effort, while the weight loss role involved a parental weight reduction program that paralleled that of the child. Parents were monitored in their respective roles for half a year. Findings suggest a slight superiority for the helper condition during extended treatment, however, there was no difference in overall rates of success or child's weight status at a one-year follow-up. It was suggested that poor adherence to the parental role could be a contributing factor to the lack of difference found between conditions. The results are discussed in terms of parental roles, the challenge of increasing long-term parental adherence, and improvements in adherence assessment.