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A community-based motivational personalised lifestyle intervention to reduce BMI in obese adolescents: results from the Healthy Eating and Lifestyle Programme (HELP) randomised controlled trial.

Published version
Peer-reviewed

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Type

Article

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Authors

Christie, Deborah 
Hudson, Lee Duncan 
Kinra, Sanjay 
Wong, Ian Chi Kei 
Nazareth, Irwin 

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Approximately 7% of children and young people aged 5-15 years in the UK have obesity at a level likely to be associated with comorbidities. The majority of multicomponent lifestyle programmes have limited applicability and generalisability for British adolescents.The Healthy Eating and Lifestyle Programme (HELP) was a specific adolescent-focused intervention, designed for obese 12 to 18-year-olds seeking help to manage their weight. Participants were randomised to the 12-session HELP intervention or standard care. The primary outcome was difference in mean body mass index (BMI) (kg/m2) between groups at week 26 adjusted for baseline BMI, age and sex. SUBJECTS: 174 subjects were randomised (87 in each arm), of whom 145 (83%) provided primary outcome data at week 26. RESULTS: At week 26 there were no significant effects of the intervention on BMI (mean change in BMI 0.18 kg/m2 for the intervention arm, 0.25 kg/m2 for the control arm; adjusted difference between groups: -0.11 kg/m2 (95% CI -0.62 to 0.40), p=0.7). At weeks 26 and 52 there were no significant differences between groups in any secondary outcomes. CONCLUSION: At minimum this study reinforces the need for higher level, structured interventions to tackle the growing public health burden of obesity in the UK and internationally.The HELP intervention was no more effective than a single educational session for reducing BMI in a community sample of obese adolescents.Further work is needed to understand how weight management programmes can be delivered effectively to young people from diverse and deprived backgrounds in which childhood obesity is common. The study has significant implications in terms of informing public health interventions to tackle childhood obesity. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ISRCTN: ISRCTN99840111.

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Keywords

adolescent health, child psychology, lifestyle intervention, obesity, Adolescent, Body Mass Index, Community Health Services, Female, Healthy Lifestyle, Humans, Male, Motivational Interviewing, Patient Compliance, Pediatric Obesity, Risk Factors

Journal Title

Arch Dis Child

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

0003-9888
1468-2044

Volume Title

102

Publisher

BMJ
Sponsorship
MRC (MR/L501438/1)
Medical Research Council (MR/K023187/1)
Economic and Social Research Council (ES/G007462/1)