Treatment of Childhood Obesity in Obese Families

BACKGROUND: Parental obesity reduces the likelihood of a multidisciplinary childhood obesity program to succeed, suggesting that special family-based interventions should be constructed for obese children from obese families. AIM: To examine the effects of an intense combined 3-month familial dietary-behavioral-physical activity intervention for a subgroup of obese children (BMI >95th percentile) from obese families (parental BMI >27 kg/m2) compared to a control group of obese children and obese parents who did not participate in the combined intervention. CHILDREN: Twenty-two obese children were randomly assigned to the intervention (n = 11) or control (n = 11) group. Anthropometric measurements, body composition, dietary and activity habits and fitness levels were measured before and at the end of a 3-month intervention. RESULTS: The intervention led to a significant difference in change in body weight (-0.2 +/- 0.3 vs 1.7 +/- 0.6 kg; p <0.05), BMI percentiles (-1.4 +/- 0.5 vs -0.1 +/- 0.2%; p <0.05), and to a decrease in screen (television and computer) time (-2.2 +/- 0.6 vs 0.1 +/- 0.3 h/day; p <0.05) in the intervention group compared to the controls. In addition, the intervention led to a significant improvement in fitness level determined by endurance time (181 +/- 30 vs 26 +/- 63 seconds in the intervention vs control group, respectively; p <0.05). CONCLUSION: Obese children from obese families pose a therapeutic challenge to health care providers. Intense family-oriented multidisciplinary weight management intervention should be designed for treatment in this unique population.