[Treatment of obesity in children and adolescents]

Weight development was compared in 48 obese children, 6-15 years of age, who during a 12-month period underwent treatment either individually, in groups, or as part of the school health services. Those treated intensively by groups or individually manifested a relative weight reduction of 10-14 per cent at the 12-month follow-up, as compared with seven per cent in those treated by the school health services, but at five-year follow-up relative weight reduction was much the same in all three categories. Thus, group treatment of childhood obesity would appear to be the best alternative as it yields fairly rapid relative weight reduction with beneficial metabolic changes, and entails less investment in personnel resources.