Treating Pre-School Children at Risk for Overweight in the Primary Care Setting

Treating Overweight Youth: A Family Based Approach in Primary Care

The goal of this study is to test, in the primary care setting, the efficacy of an innovative intervention program for children aged 2-5 years with a BMI over the 85th percentile and one overweight parent (BMI >27 kg/m2.

Inclusion Criteria:

• 2-5 year old with a BMI greater than the 85th% for age and sex
• one overweight parent (BMI>27kg/m2)
• child with normal developmental milestones
• history of adherence to 90% of scheduled primary care visits
• parent must be at 5th grade reading and speaking of English language or the spanish language
• no plans on moving out of the area for the 2 years subsequent to enrollment

Exclusion Criteria:

• child with a height 2 SD below the mean for age and sex and/or pathological growth velocity
• SGA
• any chronic disorders influencing energy intake and/or growth
• any orthopedic disorder preventing the child or the parent from ambulation normally and performing the activity prescribed by the program
• any medication known to have the potential of affecting weight changes
• parent or child with psychiatric and/or eating disorder
• participating mother who is pregnant or planning a pregnancy
• parent being acquainted with the parent of a previously randomized study participant