Feasibility and Preliminary Outcomes of a Scalable, Community-based Treatment of Childhood Obesity

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Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Clinic-based treatments of childhood obesity are effective but typically have limited reach and are costly. In this study, we evaluated the effects of a scalable weight management program for children and teenagers. METHODS: Participants were 155 children and their parent/guardian. Children had a mean ± SD age of 11.3 ± 2.8 years, BMI z score of 2.23 ± 0.41, and a percentage overweight of 72.5 ± 34.0. Most (92%) were obese, and nearly half (46.5%) were ≥99th percentile for BMI. The primary outcome was change in percentage overweight from baseline to 6 months. RESULTS: At 6 months, children experienced a 3.4 percentage point reduction in percentage overweight (P = .001). Children CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that a scalable, community-based pediatric obesity intervention can result in clinically significant reductions in percentage overweight, as well as improvements in health-related quality of life.

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