title: Long-term effects of the RealFit intervention on body composition, aerobic fitness, and behavior.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  RealFit is a 13-week weight reduction program for youth that focuses on nutrition, physical activity (PA), psychology, and parental participation. The short-term effectiveness of the RealFit intervention, in terms of body composition, aerobic fitness, and dietary and PA behavior, having been proven, the present study evaluated the long-term effects of the intervention.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study had a quasi-experimental design. Height, weight, waist circumference, aerobic fitness, and self-reported dietary and PA behavior were assessed at baseline (T(0)), immediately after the 13-week RealFit intervention (T(1)), after 5 months (T(2)), and 1 year (T(3)) of follow-up. A total of 86 adolescents participated in the intervention group. The control group (n=32) comprised overweight adolescents who did not receive any treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One year after the RealFit intervention, significant decreases in BMI z-score (mean difference [MD]: -0.39) and waist circumference (MD, -3.24) were found. The comparison between the intervention and control groups, controlling for confounders, resulted in a significant difference (BMI z-score: -0.41; 95% confidence interval [CI]: -0.67 to -0.15; waist circumference: -8.07; 95% CI: -11.58 to -4.56). The results for dietary and PA behavior consistently showed favorable changes in the intervention group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The RealFit intervention appears to have significant favorable long-term effects on BMI z-score and waist circumference. These changes in body composition obviously represent changes in adolescents' energy balance-related behavior. Taking all results and limitations into account, it may cautiously be concluded that RealFit is an effective weight loss intervention.
authors.affiliation: 1 Public Health Services (GGD) Southern Limburg , Geleen, The Netherlands .
authors.forename: Nina H M
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Bartelink
authors.forename: Maria W J
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Jansen
authors.forename: Stef P J
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Kremers
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mulkens
authors.forename: Suhreta
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mujakovic
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001823:Body Composition; D015992:Body Mass Index; D004032:Diet; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015438:Health Behavior; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D009752:Nutritional Status; D010290:Parents; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D010809:Physical Fitness; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055105:Waist Circumference; D015431:Weight Loss; D061217:Weight Reduction Programs