Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 7, 2026
Multidisciplinary Approach to Obesity Management: A Case Report
Published on: May 30, 2025
Treatment Interventions for Early Childhood Obesity: A Systematic Review
Byron A Foster1, Jill Farragher1, Paige Parker1
1Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Tex.
Insights
Intensive, multidisciplinary programs show promise for reducing obesity in young children. Further research is needed due to study limitations.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Public Health
- Obesity Research
Background:
- Overweight and obesity affect 25% of U.S. preschool-age children, necessitating effective interventions.
- Previous systematic reviews have not captured recent randomized trials in this age group.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review the literature on treatment interventions for overweight or obesity in preschool-age children.
- To identify effective strategies for managing childhood obesity in early years.
Main Methods:
- Searched Medline, Cochrane Central Registry, CINAHL, and PAS abstracts from inception to July 2014.
- Included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of children aged 0-6 with adiposity as an outcome, excluding trials with normal-weight children or lacking a comparison group.
- Extracted data independently using a standardized template.
Main Results:
- Selected 6 RCTs involving 1222 children.
- Intensive, multidisciplinary approaches over 6 months significantly decreased adiposity.
- Parental coaching also showed a significant reduction in adiposity at 6 months.
- Other interventions, including systems changes, motivational interviewing, and dairy-rich diet education, showed limited or possible effects.
Conclusions:
- Multidisciplinary, intensive interventions demonstrate efficacy in reducing adiposity in preschool children.
- Study designs were heterogeneous, limiting meta-analysis.
- Limited inclusion of ethnic minority subjects was noted.
Context:
With 25% of preschool-age children in the United States being overweight or obese, effective interventions for these children would have significant public health implications. Randomized trials targeting this age group have been performed since the last systematic review.
Objective:
To systematically review the literature on treatment interventions for overweight or obesity in preschool-age children.
Data Sources:
Medline (1948-July 2014), the Cochrane Central Registry (1991-July 2014), CINAHL (1990-July2014), and PAS abstracts (2000-2014).
Study Selection:
Inclusion criteria were children aged 0 to 6 in the study and adiposity as an outcome. Exclusions were having normal-weight children in the trial and not having a comparison group.
Data Extraction:
Data were extracted independently by 2 authors using a template.
Results:
The initial search yielded 1981 results, narrowed to 289 abstracts after initial review. Further analysis and cross-referencing led to the selection of 6 randomized controlled trials representing 1222 children. Two studies used systems changes and motivational interviewing and showed no significant effect on adiposity. Two studies used an intensive, multidisciplinary approach over 6 months and demonstrated significant decreases in adiposity. One study tested parental coaching and showed a significant reduction in adiposity at 6 months. One study used education on a dairy-rich diet and showed a possible effect on adiposity.
Limitations:
The study designs were too heterogeneous for meta-analysis; few ethnic minority subjects were included.
Conclusions:
Multidisciplinary, intensive interventions have some evidence of efficacy in reducing adiposity in preschool children.
Related Concept Videos
01:24Obesity
01:23Binge Eating Disorders
01:24Operant Conditioning Intervention
In operant conditioning, behaviors that are...
01:24Treatment Strategies for Psychological Disorders
Psychological therapies focus on modifying emotions, thoughts, and behaviors through talking, interpreting, listening, rewarding, challenging, and modeling. Clinical psychologists, counselors, and social workers commonly practice psychotherapy. Clinical...
01:03Nursing Interventions I: Taxonomy of Nursing Interventions
A nursing intervention is a treatment or action based on scientific concepts and knowledge from the nursing, behavioral, and physical sciences. Identifying and prioritizing nursing interventions based on the desired outcome...
01:29Nursing Interventions II: Selecting and Classifying the Nursing Interventions