Related Experiment Videos
Effect of weight loss by obese children on long-term growth
L H Epstein1, A Valoski, J McCurley
1School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pa.
Insights
Pediatric obesity treatment using family-based behavioral methods did not negatively impact children's long-term height growth. Obese children maintained taller stature than their parents after 10 years of follow-up.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Endocrinology
- Childhood Obesity Research
- Growth and Development
Background:
- Childhood obesity is a significant public health concern.
- Concerns exist regarding the potential impact of weight management interventions on linear growth in children.
- Understanding long-term growth trajectories is crucial for evaluating the safety of pediatric obesity treatments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the long-term (10-year) height growth in children treated for obesity.
- To determine if family-based behavioral weight control interventions affect children's final height.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal, prospective follow-up of 158 obese children (aged 6-12 years) from randomized controlled weight control trials.
- Family-based behavioral weight control interventions were utilized.
- Height and weight were tracked over 10 years, with analysis including midparent height and regression models.
Main Results:
- Obese children at entry had higher height percentiles than their parents.
- After 10 years, children were taller than their same-sex parents, with a decrease in average height percentile.
- Factors like sex, age, baseline height, and early growth changes predicted 94% of height variance; overweight change did not.
- No significant growth differences were observed between children who remained obese and those who did not at 10 years.
Conclusions:
- Moderate energy restriction and dietary guidance in overweight children do not negatively influence long-term growth.
- Family-based behavioral interventions for pediatric obesity appear safe concerning linear growth.
- The study supports the long-term safety of weight management programs for children's physical development.
Objective:
To assess height growth over 10 years in children treated for obesity.
Design:
Longitudinal, prospective follow-up of a series of randomized, controlled weight control trials.
Setting:
Specialized pediatric weight control clinic.
Participants:
One hundred fifty-eight 6- to 12-year-old obese children who were followed up for 10 years after treatment.
Interventions:
Family-based behavioral weight control.
Measurements/Main Results:
At entry the height percentiles of the obese children were significantly higher (71.6 percentile) than same-sex parent (52.0 percentile) or midparent (51.5 percentile) height (an estimate of parental contribution to height). After an average growth of 22.7 cm, children were 2.2 cm taller than their same-sex parent and decreased to an average height percentile of 57.8. Multiple regression analysis showed that child sex, age, baseline height and percent overweight, midparent height, and height change of the child from baseline to 5 years accounted for 94% of the variance in growth. Child percent overweight change made no contribution to predicting height change. Comparison between children obese and nonobese at 10 years showed no differences in growth.
Conclusions:
Moderate energy restriction with dietary guidance by overweight children did not negatively influence long-term growth.