title: A low fructose diet in the treatment of pediatric obesity: a pilot study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Over the last three decades the prevalence of overweight and obesity has increased dramatically among children and adolescents worldwide. As the results of animal and human studies suggest that a diet rich in fructose may be a risk factor for the development of overweight, the aim of the pilot study was to evaluate if a dietary counseling aimed at a moderate reduction of dietary fructose intake (-50% in comparison to intake at baseline) has a positive effect on the body mass index (BMI) of overweight and obese children.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifteen overweight or obese children aged 5-8 years were included into the 3 month dietary intervention study. At baseline and after 4 and 8 weeks children and their parents were trained to reduce fructose in the children's diet. Anthropometric parameters for calculating BMI and BMI standard deviation scores (BMI-SDS) as well as nutritional intake were assessed at baseline, after the 12-week intervention and after 12 week of follow up.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After the 12-week intervention children had significantly reduced their total energy, fructose, sucrose and glucose intake. BMI and BMI-SDS were significantly reduced by 0.68 kg/m(2) and 0.21, respectively, at the end of the intervention. At follow up, the BMI-SDS was significantly lower in comparison to baseline while the BMI was only decreased by trend (P= 0.08).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of our pilot study indicate that counseling aimed towards a moderate reduction of dietary fructose and/or general sugar intake may have a positive effect on BMI in overweight and obese children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutritional Medicine (180 a), University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany.
authors.forename: Ina B
authors.initials: IB
authors.lastname: Maier
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Stricker
authors.forename: Yelda
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ozel
authors.forename: Sabine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wagnerberger
authors.forename: Stephan C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Bischoff
authors.forename: Ina
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bergheim
mesh_terms: D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D050528:Diet, Carbohydrate-Restricted / Q000379:methods*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005632:Fructose / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D009765:Obesity / Q000178:diet therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D005632:Fructose