[Short- and intermediate-term results of treatment of children with obesity]

We report on the short- and medium-term outcome of obesity therapy in 160 obese children and youths aged 10.7 +/- 3 years, who had been admitted to our department between 1982 and 1984. Mean initial percentage overweight of all children was 41.4 +/- 16.8%. 59 of the children stopped therapy after 1-2 visits, and 101 children (group 1) continued the therapeutic regimen until the end. Our treatment consists of individual consultations with the aim of behaviour modification, and reduction or modification of caloric intake. Within 3-6 months mean weight reduction was 15.3% in the children of group 1. After 3-5 years the medium-term outcome of 48 of these children (group 2) was controlled by phone. Their initial weight reduction had been 17.2%, and after 3-5 years their percentage overweight was still 10.6% below their initial values. During therapy 68% of the children had successfully reduced their overweight below the margin of 20%, and after 3-5 years still 42% of the children remained in this range. Our short term results are similar to those of other studies on obese children, but there are no other comparable publications for medium term outcome. According to our results children should be checked for years after successful obesity therapy in order to prevent relapses.