Wellness and Weight Family Group Project

Wellness and Weight Family Group Project

The purpose of the current study is examine the feasibility and efficacy of providing a behavioral family intervention in 30 youth 10 to 17 years of age who are obese and attending a multidisciplinary pediatric obesity clinic and their parents. Participating families will complete assessments consisting of weight status, dietary intake, physical activity, health-related quality of life, psychological functioning, home-food environment, parenting skills, and self-efficacy at pre-treatment (Baseline), post-treatment (Month 3), and 2 month post-treatment follow-up (Month 5). Family attendance data will be collected during the behavioral family intervention and children and parents will complete a treatment satisfaction questionnaire at the post-treatment assessment. Health outcomes (e.g., A1C, glucose) routinely assessed through standard medical care in the multidisciplinary pediatric obesity clinic will be obtained from child medical charts.

Inclusion Criteria:

1. child 10 to 17 years of age attending an outpatient pediatric obesity clinic visit
2. child or adolescent is obese (equal to or above the 95th percentile for BMI based on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) norms for age and gender)
3. child or adolescent is accompanied by a parent or legal guardian
4. participating child and parent speak and read English
5. family agrees to attend group meetings at a medical clinic over a 3 month period

Exclusion Criteria:

1. participating child or parent, according to parent report, has dietary restriction or medical condition contraindicating mild energy restriction or moderate physical activity (e.g., musculoskeletal, heart, or respiratory condition, uncontrolled blood pressure or exercise induced asthma)
2. child diagnosed according to parent report with pervasive developmental delay (e.g., autistic disorder)
3. child or parent, according to parent report, in commercial weight loss program
4. child or parent currently prescribed medications to impact appetite or weight loss/gain, according to parent report
5. parent and child do not speak and read English