Achieving Long-Term Weight Maintenance in Mexican-American Adolescents With a School-Based Intervention

Abstract Purpose This study evaluated 24-month outcomes of a school-based intensive lifestyle weight management program targeting overweight Mexican-American adolescents. Methods We recruited a total of 71 adolescents (32 males; 45.1%) between the ages of 10 and 14 years, at or above the 85th percentile for body mass index (BMI). Participants were randomized to a 6-month instructor-led intervention (ILI) or a self-help (SH) program. Both interventions were aimed at modifying eating and physical activity behaviors using behavior modification strategies. We assessed changes in participants' standardized BMI and BMI percentile at baseline, 1, and 2 years. Results Repeated-measures analyses showed that ILI participants showed significantly greater decreases in standardized BMI at 1 and 2 years ( F  = 8.58, p F  = 9.27, p Conclusions A school-based intervention resulted in improved weight outcomes in overweight Mexican-American adolescents and results were maintained over 2 years.