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Objective: The aim was to evaluate the efficacy of a Family Weight School treatment based on family therapy in group meetings with adolescents with a high degree of obesity., Methods: Seventy-two obese adolescents aged 12-19 years old were referred to a childhood obesity center by pediatricians and school nurses and offered a Family Weight School therapy program in group meetings given by a multidisciplinary team. Intervention was compared with an untreated waiting list control group. Body mass index (BMI) and BMI z-scores were calculated before and after intervention., Results: Ninety percent of the intervention group completed the program (34 boys, 31 girls; baseline age = 14.8 +/- 1.8 years [mean +/- standard deviation, SD], BMI = 34 +/- 4.0, BMI z-score = 3.3 +/- 0.4). In the control group 10 boys and 13 girls (baseline age = 14.3 +/- 1.6, BMI = 34.1 +/- 4.8, BMI z-score = 3.2 +/- 0.4) participated in the 1-year follow-up. Adolescents in the intervention group with initial BMI z-score < 3.5 (n = 49 out of 65, baseline mean age = 14.8, mean BMI = 33.0, mean BMI z-score = 3.1), showed a significant decrease in BMI z-scores in both genders (-0.09 +/- 0.04, p = 0.039) compared with those in the control group with initial BMI z-score < 3.5 (n = 17 out of 23, mean baseline age = 14.1, mean baseline BMI = 31.6, mean baseline BMI z-score = 3.01). No difference was found in adolescents with BMI z-scores > 3.5., Conclusions: Family Weight School treatment model might be suitable for adolescents with BMI z-score < 3.5 treated with a few sessions in a multidisciplinary program.

A dramatic increase in prevalence of pediatric obesity has occurred in most countries over the past few decades. This is of particular significance given the fact that overweight children and adolescents are at increased risk for multiple medical co-morbidities, as well as psychosocial and behavioral difficulties. While considerable attention has recently been paid to identifying obesity and the importance of associated co-morbidities, there has been less focus on considerations related to effective interventions. Interventions aimed at childhood obesity include prevention and treatment. Both prevention and treatment need improvement to be useful in the clinical setting. Few investigators have demonstrated that treatment is effective. The aim of this review is to examine the effectiveness of family-based interventions in obese pediatric subjects and to explore what specific components of family-based programs are of particular significance when treating obese children. A literature search was performed and relevant studies are presented. A majority of the studies support the use of family-based treatment. Furthermore, to develop a fully interactive model, more focus is needed on the specific techniques used in evidence-based programs.

Aims: To study the influence of low-intensity solution-focused family therapy with obese and extremely obese pediatric subjects on body mass index (BMI) z-scores and self-esteem., Materials and Methods: Fifty-four obese children, aged 6-17 years, were referred to an outpatient obesity clinic. The families received solution-focused family therapy provided by a multidisciplinary team. Height and weight were recorded; BMI and BMI z-scores were derived. Self-esteem was assessed with a validated questionnaire, "I Think I Am." Parents completed "The Family Climate Scale" assessing family dynamics., Results: Eighty-one percent of the children (n =44, mean age 11.9 years, mean BMI z-score 3.67, range 2.46-5.48) and their parents participated in the follow-up. Eleven children were treated for 6-12 months, and 33 for more than 12 months. On average, the families received 3.8 family therapy sessions. Intervention resulted in a mean decrease in BMI z-score of 0.12 (p =0.0001). Self-esteem on the global scale improved after intervention (p =0.002), and also on sub-scales, depicting physical characteristics (p <0.001), psychological well-being (p =0.026), and relations with others (p =0.046). The Family Climate Scale showed improvement in the sub-scales for Expressiveness (p = 0.002) and Chaos (p =0.002)., Conclusions: Solution-focused family therapy provided by a multidisciplinary team to obese and extremely obese children may prove useful in the clinical setting, with a positive impact on obesity and self-esteem.