Overweight and obese preschoolers lose more weight when a parent is also treated, according to a recent study.
Researchers from the University of Buffalo found that primary care treatment of overweight and obese preschoolers works better when treatment targets both parent and child compared to when only the child is targeted.
"Our results show that the traditional approach to overweight prevention and treatment focusing only on the child is obsolete," Teresa A. Quattrin, senior author of the study, said in a statement. "This study is important because while we know that it is critical to begin treating overweight or obese children early, there has been limited data on what works best in preschool-aged children."
The research was part of Buffalo Healthy Tots, a novel family-based, weight control intervention in preschool children that Quattrin directed in urban and suburban pediatric practices in Western New York.
For the study, researchers recruited nearly 100 children between the ages of 2 and 5. During the course of the study, children who were treated concurrently with a parent experienced more appropriate weight gain while growing normally in height. Children in the intervention group gained an average of 12 pounds over 24 months compared to children in the control group who gained almost 16 pounds. This more appropriate weight accrual resulted in a decrease of 0.21 percent over body mass index (BMI) from baseline to 24 months.
Parents in the intervention group lost an average of 14 pounds, resulting in a BMI decrease of over 2 units while the weight of parents in the control group was essentially unchanged.
"We have entered a new era where students, trainees and specialists have to learn how to better interact with primary care providers and implement care coordination," Quattrin said. "This paper suggests that, indeed, family-based strategies for any chronic disorder, including obesity, can be successful in primary care. The pediatrician's office can become a 'family-centered medical home.' "
The findings were recently published in Pediatrics.
