Behavior-Changing Interventions for Treating Overweight or Obesity in Children Aged 6 to 11 Years

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Endocrinology
• Behavioral Medicine
• Public Health Nutrition

Background:

• Childhood overweight and obesity are significant public health concerns.
• Effective interventions are crucial for long-term health outcomes in children.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of diet, physical activity, and behavioral interventions for children aged 6 to 11 years with overweight or obesity.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review and meta-analysis of behavioral interventions.
• Assessment of outcomes including body mass index (BMI), BMI z score, and weight.
• Evaluation of reported adverse events, quality of life, and sociodemographics.

Main Results:

• Multicomponent behavior-changing interventions demonstrated small, short-term reductions in BMI, BMI z score, and weight.
• Data on adverse events, quality of life, and sociodemographics were inconsistently reported.
• Evidence quality was predominantly low or very low, with a lack of data from lower-income countries.

Conclusions:

• Behavioral interventions may offer modest short-term benefits for pediatric overweight/obesity.
• Further high-quality research is needed, particularly from diverse global settings, with comprehensive outcome reporting.