Family Weight School treatment: 1-year results in obese adolescents.
OBJECTIVE
The aim was to evaluate the efficacy of a Family Weight School treatment based on family therapy in group meetings with adolescents with a high degree of obesity.


METHODS
Seventy-two obese adolescents aged 12-19 years old were referred to a childhood obesity center by pediatricians and school nurses and offered a Family Weight School therapy program in group meetings given by a multidisciplinary team. Intervention was compared with an untreated waiting list control group. Body mass index (BMI) and BMI z-scores were calculated before and after intervention.


RESULTS
Ninety percent of the intervention group completed the program (34 boys, 31 girls; baseline age = 14.8 +/- 1.8 years [mean +/- standard deviation, SD], BMI = 34 +/- 4.0, BMI z-score = 3.3 +/- 0.4). In the control group 10 boys and 13 girls (baseline age = 14.3 +/- 1.6, BMI = 34.1 +/- 4.8, BMI z-score = 3.2 +/- 0.4) participated in the 1-year follow-up. Adolescents in the intervention group with initial BMI z-score < 3.5 (n = 49 out of 65, baseline mean age = 14.8, mean BMI = 33.0, mean BMI z-score = 3.1), showed a significant decrease in BMI z-scores in both genders (-0.09 +/- 0.04, p = 0.039) compared with those in the control group with initial BMI z-score < 3.5 (n = 17 out of 23, mean baseline age = 14.1, mean baseline BMI = 31.6, mean baseline BMI z-score = 3.01). No difference was found in adolescents with BMI z-scores > 3.5.


CONCLUSIONS
Family Weight School treatment model might be suitable for adolescents with BMI z-score < 3.5 treated with a few sessions in a multidisciplinary program.
Nowicka
Paulina
P
Childhood Obesity Unit, University Hospital Malmö, Sweden. paulina.nowicka@skane.se
Höglund
Peter
P
Pietrobelli
Angelo
A
Lissau
Inge
I
Flodmark
Carl-Erik
CE
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D017195:Adolescent Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D015992:Body Mass Index; D004032:Diet; D015444:Exercise; D005196:Family Therapy; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005518:Food Preferences; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D010348:Patient Care Team; D015397:Program Evaluation; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult