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Early weight loss predicts later, longer-term weight loss in children

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WASHINGTON — Children participating in a weight-management program who experience a decrease in BMI at 1 month are more likely to experience further decreases at 6 and 12 months compared with children who do not lose weight that quickly, according to findings presented here.

“In adults, this phenomenon is fairly well-established, there is a fair amount of research suggesting that early BMI change is associated with later BMI change or weight loss as well as maintenance,” Amy C. Gross, PhD, assistant professor in the department of pediatrics at the University of Minnesota, said during her presentation. “However, there are fewer studies in the pediatric population.”

Gross and colleagues evaluated data from the Pediatric Obesity Weight Evaluation Registry (POWER) on 693 children and adolescents (mean age, 12.3 years; 46% boys) with obesity to determine whether early improvement in BMI ( 3% at 1 month) predicts superior percent BMI change at 6 and 12 months ( 5%).

“POWER is a study that enrolled patients prospectively who are participants in multi-component weight management programs,” Gross said. “Currently, there are over 30 sites included.”

Sixteen percent of participants were considered early responders ( 3% reduction at 1 month), and the remaining were considered non-responders.

Early responders had greater BMI reductions at 6 and 12 months compared with non-responders (P < .001 for both). Early responders were more than nine times more likely to have at least 5% BMI reduction at 6 months (OR = 10; 95% CI, 6-16.5) and five times more likely at 12 months (OR = 5.2; 95% CI, 2.5-10.8) than non-responders.

“Overall, similar to adults, early weight loss was associated with greater longer-term weight loss,” Gross said. “We don’t know from our data what contributes to that early weight loss, there are a lot of questions remaining about what makes a person an early responder. What we do see pretty clearly, though, is that if you’re a non-responder at 1 month, most often, you are a non-responder later. These findings might suggest that the patient who is an early non-responder may need intervention intensification.” – by Amber Cox

Reference:

Gross AC. T-OR-2040. Presented at: ObesityWeek 2017; Oct. 29-Nov. 2, 2017; Washington, D.C.

Disclosure: Gross reports no relevant financial disclosures.