Simone Forte

In the last two decades, the relationship between weight status and children’s motor skill competence has been receiving increasing attention, given its possible role in the prevention and treatment of obesity. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of a multidisciplinary obesity treatment on motor performance in a sample of Italian children and adolescents. Visual and auditory reaction time (VRT and ART), vertical jump elevation (VJE) and power (VJP), body mass index (BMI) and BMI-standard deviation score (BMI-SDS), waist circumference (WC), body composition, dietary habits and physical activity (PA) levels were assessed at baseline and at 6- and 12-month follow-up. Significant improvements were observed in BMI-SDS and FFM, diet and PA levels. Adolescents showed significant improvements in VRT and ART. Jump elevation and power increased in both children and adolescent subgroups. Girls exhibited greater changes than boys in both VRT and ART and VJP but lower changes in VJE. VRT improvement was related to age (OR = 0.285, 95%CI 0.098–0.830, p = 0.021) and FFM (OR = 0.255, 95%CI 0.070–0.933, p = 0.039). An increase in VJE was associated with BMI-SDS (OR = 0.158, 95%CI 0.036–0.695, p = 0.015) and with PA level (OR = 19.102, 95%CI 4.442–82.142, p < 0.001); the increase in VJP was related with the increase in PA (OR = 5.564, 95%CI 1.812–17.081, p = 0.003). These findings suggest the possible effects of a multidisciplinary obesity treatment on children’s motor competence. Since the improvement in motor skills can increase children’s motivation and adherence to weight loss treatment in the long term, these aspects should be further investigated.

Childhood obesity must be faced through an integrated multi-level preventive approach. This study was aimed at assessing the adherence and the outcomes of an outpatient service for childhood obesity treatment activated in the province of Naples, Italy, throughout a 2-year follow-up period. At first visit (T₀), weight, height, waist circumference, and body composition of children were assessed, together with sociodemographic features and physical activity levels of children and parents. Anthropometric and body composition parameters of children were measured at 6 ± 3 months (T₁) and 12 ± 3 months (T₂). A total of 451 non-related children who accessed the service were analyzed: 220 (48.7%) of them returned at least once (attrition rate 51.3%). Returner outpatients showed higher age (p = 0.046) and father’s educational level (p = 0.041) than non-returner ones. Adherence to the treatment was found to be related to father’s (Rho = 0.140, p = 0.005) and mother’s (Rho = 0.109, p = 0.026) educational level. All the outcomes improved between T₀ and T₁ (p < 0.001), while only body mass index (BMI) decreased significantly at T₂. Changes in BMI-SDS were associated with baseline value (OR 0.158, 95%CI 0.017–0.298, p = 0.029). The multidisciplinary approach seems to be promising to treat childhood obesity in this geographic context. Lower parents’ educational level should be considered as an attrition determinant.