Two-Year BMI Outcomes From a School-Based Intervention for Nutrition and Exercise: A Randomized Trial

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Pediatric Obesity Prevention
• School-based Interventions

Background:

• Childhood obesity is a growing public health concern.
• Effective interventions are needed to address obesity in middle school students.
• The Students for Nutrition and Exercise program aimed to prevent obesity through a multi-component approach.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the long-term effects of the Students for Nutrition and Exercise intervention on Body Mass Index (BMI).
• To assess BMI changes in middle school students two years post-intervention.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial was conducted in the Los Angeles Unified School District.
• Five middle schools received the intervention, and five served as a wait-list control.
• Height and weight were measured at baseline and two years post-intervention for 1368 students.

Main Results:

• The intervention did not significantly affect overall BMI percentile.
• Obese students in the intervention group showed significant reductions in BMI percentile (-2.33) compared to controls.
• This resulted in an estimated 9-pound lower body weight for obese students after two years.

Conclusions:

• Multilevel, school-based obesity interventions can yield long-term BMI benefits for obese students.
• Further research is needed to understand the mechanisms driving these long-term effects.