Futurity

To fight child obesity, engage the whole family

Psychologist Denise E. Wilfley discusses how a new family-based treatment plan could help the millions of overweight or obese children in the US.

When trying to help a child lose weight, involving a parent in treatment makes the entire family healthier, a new study shows.

Researchers tested a family-based treatment that included weekly meetings over a period of several months. Parents learned how to engineer a home environment that supported healthy eating and activity. They also learned to practice their own healthy behaviors so their kids could learn to make healthier choices.

Childhood obesity in the US has reached epidemic levels: Nearly one in three children is overweight or has obesity. The overall rate is 17 percent, with 6 percent of kids having severe obesity.

It is one of the biggest drivers of preventable, chronic diseases and health-care costs in the United States, with cost estimates ranging from $147 billion to nearly $210 billion per year. The current generation of children may be the first to live shorter lives than their parents.

The researchers  found that when parents and children received follow-up care that was more comprehensive after an initial intervention, both did better than others whose follow-up was less comprehensive. The researchers tested a more and a less intensive version of the follow-up program and found that those who received the higher “dose” of follow-up also had better outcomes.

Denise E. Wilfley, professor of psychiatry at Washington University in St. Louis who led the study, which appears in JAMA Pediatrics, talks about why the program works.

The post To fight child obesity, engage the whole family appeared first on Futurity.

More from Futurity

Futurity4 min read
Folic Acid In Table Salt Prevents Birth Defects
Researchers have proven, for the first time in a field study, that using folic acid-fortified iodized table salt can prevent multiple severe birth defects. The importance of women having enough folic acid in their bodies before and during pregnancy t
Futurity3 min read
Organic Farms Can Boost (or Lower) Pesticides On Nearby Fields
Organic farming significantly affects the amount of pesticide used in neighboring fields, according to a new study. The study, published in Science, found that the impact depends on the density and spacing of organic and conventional fields. Clusteri
Futurity3 min read
Baseball Players With Longer Contracts Don’t Always Work As Hard
Major League Baseball’s opening day is March 28, and chances are, some players will be working a bit harder this season than others, according to a new study. That’s because every one year increase in guaranteed contract length for MLB players leads

Related Books & Audiobooks