Effectiveness of an intensive lifestyle modification program in reducing the weight of obese children aged 12-18 years

Abstract

Objective: To find out the effectiveness of an intensive lifestyle modification program in reducing the weight of obese children aged 12-18 years. Material and Methods: Quasi-experimental single group pre-test/post-test study was conducted for 1 year in the outpatient unit of a tertiary care hospital. Obese children aged 12-18 years who gave consent to participate in the study were included as the study subjects. Obesity was diagnosed based on revised Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP) 2015 reference percentiles that have been proposed for Asian Indian children with a body mass index (BMI) >27 kg/m2 adult equivalent cut-off taken as obesity. Intervention done was lifestyle modification including diet and moderate aerobic exercises under supervision thrice a week, 1 h each day. Results: A total of 72 children were initially enrolled, and final analysis was performed on 58 children. After completing the 6 months program, the mean BMI reduced from 29.31±4.83 kg/m2 to 27.27±4.46 kg/m2. The mean weight of the study participants decreased to 70.82±16.43 kg from 76.1±17.98 kg, both of which were statistically significant. Conclusion: Study shows the effectiveness of an intensive lifestyle modification program of diet and exercise in reducing the weight of obese children.