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Behavioral intervention helped parents, children with obesity
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Children as young as aged 2 years who are obese have an 80% chance of being obese in adulthood if their parents are overweight, but targeting both the child and the parents can have a positive effect, according to study results published online.
Teresa Quattrin, MD, and colleagues from the University of Buffalo reported on data from 96 families who had children with a BMI ≥85th percentile plus an overweight parent. The researchers then randomly assigned the children and their parents to either an intervention, where they were taught about dieting and some behavioral modification, or just an information control (IC) group.
“Children in the intervention group had a greater reduction in BMI and z-BMI decreases at 3 and 6 months compared with those assigned to IC (P<.0021),” the researchers wrote. “… A greater BMI reduction over time was also observed in parents in the intervention compared with parents assigned to IC (P<.0001).”
The investigators reported that similar reductions were noted between parents and children.
The data indicate the importance of parents and children knowing their BMI, Quattrin and colleagues said, adding that clinicians must counsel parents about being good role models regarding food and exercise choices.
Disclosure: Quattrin reports no relevant financial disclosures.
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