An effective lifestyle intervention in overweight children: One-year follow-up after the randomized controlled trial on “Obeldicks light”

• Published in: Clinical nutrition (Edinburgh, Scotland) Vol. 30; no. 5; pp. 629 - 633
• Main Authors: Schaefer, A, Winkel, K, Finne, E, Kolip, P, Reinehr, T
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.10.2011; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adiposity; Adolescent; Behavior Therapy; Biological and medical sciences; Blood Pressure; Body Mass Index; Child; Children; Combined Modality Therapy; Feeding. Feeding behavior; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gastroenterology and Hepatology; Humans; Intention to Treat Analysis; Life Style; Lifestyle intervention; Male; Medical sciences; Metabolic diseases; Motor Activity; Nutritional Sciences - education; Obesity; One-year follow-up; Overweight; Overweight - diet therapy; Overweight - therapy; Patient Dropouts; Patient Education as Topic; Randomized-controlled-trial; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; Waist Circumference; Weight Loss; Randomized-controlled-trial; One-year follow-up; Children; Lifestyle intervention; Overweight; Human; Randomization; Light; Clinical trial; Metabolic diseases; Child; Life style
• ISSN: 0261-5614; 1532-1983
• DOI: 10.1016/j.clnu.2011.03.012

Summary Background & aims Lifestyle interventions address primarily obese children, while interventions tailored to overweight but not obese children are scarce. The effectiveness of the lifestyle intervention “Obeldicks light” based on physical activity training, nutrition education, and behavior counseling for overweight children and their parents has been demonstrated by a randomized controlled trial. Here, we present the 12 months follow-up analysis of these children after end of intervention. Methods Degree of overweight (BMI and SDS-BMI), waist circumference, skinfold thickness, bioimpedance analyses (BIA), and blood pressure were determined in 76 overweight (BMI>90th ≤97th percentile) children (mean age 11.8 ± 1.8years, 67% females, mean BMI 24.3 ± 1.9 kg/m2 ) participating in the evaluation study of “Obeldicks light” at onset of intervention (T0), end of 6 months intervention (T1), 6 months after end of intervention (T2) and 12 months after end of intervention (T3). Comparisons were performed on an intention-to-treat approach. Results The drop-out rate was 4% in the intervention period and additional 3% during follow-up. The children reduced significantly ( p  < 0.001) their SDS-BMI in the intervention period between T0 and T1 (−0.27 ± 0.23; p  < 0.001). This SDS-BMI reduction remained stable at T2 (T0-T2:-0.26 ± 0.31; p  < 0.001) and T3 (T0-T3:-0.26 ± 0.39; p  < 0.001). SDS-BMI reductions were independent from age and gender. Body fat measured by skinfold thickness and BIA, waist circumference, and blood pressure decreased significantly in the intervention period and remained stable in the follow-up period as well. Conclusions The lifestyle intervention “Obeldicks light” was effective in reducing degree of overweight, fat mass, waist circumference, and blood pressure both at end of intervention and in a 12 months follow-up period.