It improved self-esteem but not BMI.
Routine use of BMI measurements has improved clinicians’ ability to diagnose obesity and to track early signs of obesity. Effective therapeutic interventions have lagged behind diagnostic acumen, and few studies have evaluated the effects of interventions on psychological conditions associated with obesity.
Researchers in England randomly assigned 81 adolescents (age range, 11–16 years) who were either obese (63 adolescents; BMI >98th percentile for age and sex) or morbidly obese (18 adolescents; adult-equivalent BMI ≥40) to an exercise intervention, exercise placebo, or usual care. The exercise intervention consisted of 30 minutes of moderately intense, individually supervised, aerobic exercise three times per week for 8 weeks with ongoing …