title: Reduction of overweight and eating disorder symptoms via the Internet in adolescents: a randomized controlled trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Overweight in adolescence is a significant problem which is associated with body dissatisfaction and eating disorder (ED) behaviors. Cost-effective methods for early intervention of obesity and prevention of ED are important because of the refractory nature of both. This multisite RCT evaluated an Internet-delivered program targeting weight loss and ED attitudes/behaviors in adolescents.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 80 overweight adolescents 12-17 years of age completed Student Bodies 2 (SB2), a 16-week cognitive-behavioral program, or usual care (UC).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Body mass index (BMI) z-scores were reduced in the SB2 group compared with the UC group from baseline to post-intervention (p = .027; eta(p)(2) = .08). The SB2 group maintained this reduction in BMI z-scores at 4-month follow-up, but significant differences were not observed because of improvement in the UC group. The SB2 group evidenced greater increases in dietary restraint post-intervention (p = .016) and less improvement on shape concerns at follow-up (p = .044); however these differences were not clinically significant. No other statistically significant differences were noted between groups on ED attitudes or behaviors. The SB2 participants reported using healthy eating-related and physical activity-related skills more frequently than UC participants post-intervention (p = .001) and follow-up (p = .012).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Findings suggest that an Internet-delivered intervention yielded a modest reduction in weight status that continued 4 months after treatment and that ED attitudes/behaviors were not significantly improved. Group differences on weight loss were not sustained at 4-month follow-up because of parallel improvements in the groups. Future studies are needed to improve program adherence and to further explore the efficacy of Internet-delivery of weight control programs for adolescents.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA. acdoyle@uchicago.edu
authors.forename: Angela Celio
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Doyle
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Goldschmidt
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Andrew J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Winzelberg
authors.forename: C Barr
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: Denise E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Wilfley
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002140:California; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D008923:Missouri; D050177:Overweight / Q000628:therapy*