Family-Based Treatment of Obese Children

Few treatment programs have been designed for severely obese children. Investigators randomized 192 severely obese children in Pittsburgh (age range, 8–12 years; mean body-mass index, 32 kg/m²) to intensive family-based treatment or usual care for 18 months. The intervention included twenty 1-hour group meetings for children and adults separately for 6 months, followed by three meetings and three telephone calls for the next 6 months. Participants had no contact with program staff during the last 6 months of the study. The intervention emphasized increased activity, less time in sedentary behaviors, and average daily caloric intake based on body weight. Participants randomized to usual care received two nutrition consultations.

At 6 months, …