Systematic review reveals improved anthropometric and cardiometabolic outcomes in youth with obesity, highlighting the superior efficacy of multicomponent lifestyle interventions.
Key Points
To evaluate the effects of single-component and multicomponent lifestyle interventions on anthropometric and cardiometabolic outcomes in children and adolescents with overweight or obesity within a lifestyle medicine framework.
Conducted a systematic review adhering to PRISMA 2020 guidelines by searching PubMed and Web of Science for studies published between January 2019 and March 2026.
Identified 16 eligible studies evaluating physical activity, dietary modification, or multicomponent lifestyle approaches in children and adolescents with overweight or obesity.
All 5 exercise-based intervention studies reported improvements in anthropometric or cardiometabolic outcomes, with particularly pronounced benefits following high-intensity interval training.
Seven of 8 dietary intervention studies demonstrated significant improvements in target outcomes, whereas one study found no significant intergroup differences.
All 3 multicomponent lifestyle intervention studies showed favorable anthropometric and cardiometabolic outcomes, demonstrating the greatest overall therapeutic benefit.