Four-year follow-up of children and adolescents participating in an obesity intervention program

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Endocrinology
• Public Health
• Behavioral Medicine

Background:

• Childhood obesity poses significant risks to health and social well-being.
• Effective, long-term obesity treatment strategies for children are essential.
• The 'Obeldicks' program addresses childhood obesity through a multidisciplinary approach.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the long-term effectiveness of the 'Obeldicks' outpatient obesity intervention program for children.
• To assess the sustained impact of the intervention 3 years post-program completion.
• To identify predictors of long-term success in pediatric obesity treatment.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of standard deviation score of body mass index (SDS-BMI) changes in obese children.
• Quarterly assessments during the first year, followed by annual assessments for 3 years post-intervention.
• Intention-to-treat analysis of participants in the 'Obeldicks' program (exercise, nutrition, behavior therapy).

Main Results:

• A significant reduction in overweight (mean SDS-BMI reduction of 0.41) was observed at the end of the 1-year program.
• Overweight reduction was sustained 3 years after the program, with a mean SDS-BMI reduction of 0.48.
• Early reduction in SDS-BMI (0.33 within 3 months) strongly predicted long-term success, irrespective of child or parental characteristics.

Conclusions:

• The 'Obeldicks' 1-year outpatient program effectively reduces childhood overweight.
• The positive effects on weight status are maintained for at least 3 years after program completion.
• Early treatment response in the first 3 months is a key indicator for sustained weight management in pediatric obesity.