title: Short- and medium-term impact of a residential weight-loss camp for overweight adolescents.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Management of adolescent obesity in clinical practice has been usually centered on the promotion of healthy eating and an active lifestyle, with a weak evidence base. In search of creative and more effective interventions, our objective was to evaluate the immediate and follow-up effectiveness of a residential camp program for obese adolescents.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 28 obese adolescents (15 girls), mean age 13.3±1.7 years and body mass index (BMI) 30.3±5.4 kg/m2, who were attending a tertiary health unit, enrolled in a 2-week camp. The activities were prepared and supervised by different specialists. All adolescents were assessed for anthropometric and psychosocial variables including body image, self-esteem, quality of life and depressive symptoms. Evaluations were conducted on the first and last day of the camp and at 6 months' follow-up. The effect of treatment was analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) mixed models.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At the end of the camp, weight was reduced by -2.7±1.2%, BMI by -0.8±0.4 units and waist circumference by -2.8±9.8 cm. A reduction in depressive symptoms was identified, with greater reductions in BMI associated with a more significant improvement in depressive symptoms. At the 6 months' follow-up only girls maintained BMI reduction, with boys having increased their BMI.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the short-term the camp was effective in reducing BMI and improving depressive symptoms. Only girls were able to proceed with BMI reduction at 6 months. These gender differences should be further explored. Ongoing research is examining the maintenance of these improvements.
authors.forename: Helena
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fonseca
authors.forename: Antonio Labisa
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Palmeira
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Martins
authors.forename: Pedro Dias
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Ferreira
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001828:Body Image; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001837:Body Weights and Measures; D002648:Child; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D050177:Overweight / Q000628:therapy; D011788:Quality of Life; D012649:Self Concept; D012737:Sex Factors; D061217:Weight Reduction Programs / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*