title: Effect of a weight loss program in obese adolescents; a long-term follow-up.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Obesity during adolescence is an increasing health problem in industrial countries. The co-morbidities associated with obesity include important metabolic diseases.
  
  
  METHODS
  To analyze the effect of a weight-loss program, we recruited 12 obese, male adolescents before entering this program. We determined body weight measures at baseline, 6-week and 36-month follow-up. Also, the long-term changes of blood pressure, HbA1c, and CRP were evaluated. Twenty healthy age-matched adolescents served as controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Within the intervention group ((body mass index [BMI, kg/m2] > 95th percentile for age and sex, age 13-17 years) the BMI and BMI-standard deviation score [SDS] were significantly reduced in the 6-week follow-up after completing the weight loss program. However, the significant weight-reduction effect was not persistent until the 36-month follow-up.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The 6-week weight-loss program had beneficial short-term effects on body weight, BMI, and BMI-SDS in obese adolescents, but these effects could not be maintained until the 36-month follow-up.
authors.affiliation: Friedrich-Schiller-University. Clinic of Internal Medicine I. Jena. Germany.. ilonka.rohm@med.uni-jena.de.
authors.forename: Ilonka
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Rohm
authors.affiliation: Friedrich-Schiller-University. Clinic of Internal Medicine I. Jena. Germany.. mic.schaarschmidt@web.de.
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schaarschmidt
authors.affiliation: Friedrich-Schiller-University. Clinic of Internal Medicine I. Jena. Germany.. hans.figulla@med.uni-jena.de.
authors.forename: Hans R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Figulla
authors.affiliation: Friedrich-Schiller-University. Clinic of Internal Medicine I. Jena. Germany.. michael.lichtenauer@med.uni-jena.de.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lichtenauer
authors.affiliation: Friedrich-Schiller-University. Clinic of Internal Medicine I. Jena. Germany.. bjoern.goebel@med.uni-jena.de.
authors.forename: Björn
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Goebel
authors.affiliation: Friedrich-Schiller-University. Clinic of Internal Medicine I. Jena. Germany.. marcus.franz@med.uni-jena.de.
authors.forename: Marcus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Franz
authors.affiliation: Friedrich-Schiller-University. Clinic of Internal Medicine I. Jena. Germany.. christian.jung@med.uni-jena.de.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jung
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000628:therapy*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015431:Weight Loss; D061217:Weight Reduction Programs