The Benefits Of Early Treatment For Childhood Obesity

A recent study that appeared in The International Journal of Obesity found that treating childhood obesity early had positive short- and long-term outcomes.

Researchers from Sweden’s Karolinska Institutet carried out the investigation. The researchers kept track of more than 170 young children who had been diagnosed with obesity.

Children between the ages of four and six were enrolled for the randomized controlled study in children’s clinics in the Region of Stockholm.

Three therapy conditions—standard treatment, parental support group, or parental support group with follow-up telephone assistance—were randomly allocated to the kids and their parents.

Meetings with a physician, pediatrician, and/or nutritionist focused on diet and activity were held for the kids and parents in the conventional treatment group.

The two parent support groups concentrated on how parents may successfully and amicably encourage healthy habits in the family without including the kids.

According to the study’s lead author, Paulina Nowicka, associate professor of pediatric science at the Karolinska Institutet’s Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology and professor of food studies, nutrition, and dietetics at Uppsala University, “Such conversations can center on how to set boundaries, how to teach children new behaviors, and how to communicate with preschools, grandmothers, neighbors, and other adults in the children’s world.”

Half of the participants received a follow-up phone call at random after attending the parental support sessions.

Professor Nowicka notes that studies have been done on kids who have previously received obesity treatment. However, the majority of them have only been followed up with after six months or a year, so we don’t have information on how the kids did over a longer period.

She and her colleagues’ recent study suggests that early obesity treatment has a long-lasting impact.

“The children in all three groups improved their weight status and saw a reduction in their degree of obesity,” she says.

The best outcomes were seen in the kids whose parents got parental assistance, particularly in those who also received follow-up phone calls.r

“We also found that more children in this third group showed a clinically relevant improvement of their weight status associated with better metabolic health, by which I mean better levels of blood lipids and glucose.”

According to Professor Nowicka, most parents know what kind of food they are to serve their children: “They usually know this – but what do you do with a child who loves food and always wants to eat, or one that’s always hungry? How do you go about it without making a taboo of food?” she says.

“You have to try to build a clear structure at home, one that makes the child know that lunch is on its way and know that they’ll be getting supper.”

She continues, “But you also need to do things together to strengthen family bonds, like getting the child involved in the cooking, giving the child vegetables if they’re hungry, and not rewarding them with food.

“It’s also important to make sure that food isn’t associated with emotions and achievement.”