With childhood obesity at an all-time high, there has been a surge in wellness programmes designed to help children to lose weight, and guard their wellbeing against related diseases. However, according to a review of the evidence, published June 10th in the journal Paediatrics, programmes designed to prevent childhood obesity in the home don’t affect kids’ weight a year or more down the line.
However, it’s important to bear in mind that there’s only a small number of available studies on the programmes, and so the conclusion made by the researchers doesn’t prove that such studies can’t work. According to lead author Dr. Nakiya Showell, of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, ‘We need additional studies to answer this question, especially studies with greater number of participants, greater programme exposure among participants and longer participant follow-up.’
Yet the results are surprising because previous research has shown that family influence and home environment play an important role in preventing childhood obesity. For this review, the researchers looked at the six best studies on home-based programmes for kids aged between two and 18 years old. One programme revolved around diet, three included diet and exercise, and two also included primary care or school programmes.
Dr Showell commented, ‘Most programmes involved educating children and their parents or family about healthy diet and physical activity choices (i.e. increasing fruit and vegetable intake, increasing daily physical activity, decreasing TV/computer screen time, etc.).’ These studies involved comparing the programme to the results of others, or to a comparison group of kids not enrolled in any programme. The results showed that while the programmes did have some positive effects – such as getting children to eat more fruits and vegetables and exercising more –none actually affected kids’ weight or BMI.
In each study, there was the same percentage of obese or overweight children in each comparison group, but why? Why didn’t healthy behaviours reduce their weight, if home influence is so important? What were the programmes missing? While this study raised such questions, it was not so forthcoming with solutions. Showell noted, ‘In my opinion as a paediatrician and paediatric obesity researcher, home-based obesity prevention programs should include additional components beyond what is described in this particular review.’
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