Creative New Treatment Approaches for Childhood Obesity

An Internet-facilitated intervention and automated controls on TV viewing and computer use were each associated with reducing BMI.

The search for effective strategies for treatment of childhood obesity is challenging. In two studies, investigators report modest success using technology-driven interventions.

Researchers randomized families of 70 children (age range, 4–7 years) who had body-mass indexes >75th percentile to two groups: One group had devices installed at their homes that recorded and blocked TV and computer use after a specified amount of time, which was aimed at reducing viewing by 50%; the other group received newsletters that featured advice on reducing children’s TV and computer use and was allowed unlimited viewing. At the end of the 2-year study, mean weekly viewing time had declined by 17 hours in the intervention group and by 5 hours in the control …

Reviewing Author

Howard Bauchner, MD

Disclosures

Grant / research supportHuman Resources and Services Administration; NIH; NIH-NHLBI; USDA; GlaxoSmithKline

Editorial boardsArchives of Disease in Childhood (Editor-in-Chief)

Howard Bauchner, MD

Disclosures

Grant / research supportHuman Resources and Services Administration; NIH; NIH-NHLBI; USDA; GlaxoSmithKline

Editorial boardsArchives of Disease in Childhood (Editor-in-Chief)

Creative New Treatment Approaches for Childhood Obesity

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Reviewing Author