An effective lifestyle intervention in overweight children: One-year follow-up after the randomized controlled trial on “Obeldicks light”

Summary Background & aims Lifestyle interventions address primarily obese children, while interventions tailored to overweight but not obese children are scarce. The effectiveness of the lifestyle intervention "Obeldicks light" based on physical activity training, nutrition education, and behavior counseling for overweight children and their parents has been demonstrated by a randomized controlled trial. Here, we present the 12 months follow-up analysis of these children after end of intervention. Methods Degree of overweight (BMI and SDS-BMI), waist circumference, skinfold thickness, bioimpedance analyses (BIA), and blood pressure were determined in 76 overweight (BMI>90 th ≤97 th percentile) children (mean age 11.8 ± 1.8years, 67% females, mean BMI 24.3 ± 1.9 kg/m 2 ) participating in the evaluation study of "Obeldicks light" at onset of intervention (T0), end of 6 months intervention (T1), 6 months after end of intervention (T2) and 12 months after end of intervention (T3). Comparisons were performed on an intention-to-treat approach. Results The drop-out rate was 4% in the intervention period and additional 3% during follow-up. The children reduced significantly ( p p p p Conclusions The lifestyle intervention "Obeldicks light" was effective in reducing degree of overweight, fat mass, waist circumference, and blood pressure both at end of intervention and in a 12 months follow-up period.