Abstract
Objective. To examine whether differentially targeting physical activity within the context of pilot family-based pediatric weight control treatment results in differential change in abdominal fat, particularly visceral fat. Method. Twenty-nine overweight children (>85th body mass index [BMI] percentile) and at least one participating parent were randomly assigned to one of two family-based behavioral weight management conditions that either targeted 1) primarily dietary change (STANDARD; n =15) or 2) dietary plus physical activity change (ADDED; n =14). Differences at post-treatment in overall child weight status (e.g., BMI), whole-body composition (measured by dual x-ray absorptiometry), and abdominal fat (measured by waist circumference and magnetic resonance imaging) were assessed using intent-to-treat analyses, as were post-treatment parent BMI and waist circumference. Child and parent physical activity and dietary behavior changes were also evaluated. Results. At post-treatment, overall child weight status, whole-body composition, and child dietary measures did not differ by condition. Children in the ADDED condition tended to have higher physical activity and lower visceral abdominal fat at post-treatment relative to children in the STANDARD condition. Conclusions. Increasing physical activity may be important to optimize reductions in abdominal fat, especially visceral fat, among overweight children provided with family-based behavioral weight management treatment.
Clinical trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00359957
Acknowledgements
This project was supported by NIH/NIDDK K23 60476, with additional support from USPHS M01 RR 08084 to Cincinnati Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center and CTSA Grant Number 1 UL1 RR025014-01 to the University of Washington and Seattle Children's Hospital from the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR). Manuscript content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of NCRR or NIH. The authors would like to thank the interventionists and the children and parents who participated in this trial.
Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.