ESPE Abstracts

Background: Childhood obesity and related co-morbidities are increasing world wide and consequently effective treatment interventions are much needed.

Objective and hypotheses: The aim was to investigate concomitant changes in body composition in relation to changes in BMI–SDS during The Children’s Obesity Clinics Treatment (TCOCT) program. Hypothesis: reductions in body fat percentage may not be revealed by reductions in BMI–SDS.

Method: One-hundred-ninety- three (108 girls) children and youths with a median age of 12.4 years (range 6.2–22.7) were examined by height, weight, and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA scan) at baseline and after 1 year of multidisciplinary childhood obesity treatment.

Results: At the baseline the participants had a median BMI–SDS of 2.8 (range 1.5–4.9) and a median percent body fat (%BF) of 43.6% (range 28.9–57.1). Of the 193 children and youths, 57% reduced their BMI–SDS, 30% had a stable BMI–SDS (ΔBMI–SDS ±0.15), and 13% increased their BMI–SDS during treatment. The group reducing their BMI–SDS (n=110) decreased their %BF by −4.0% (95% CI: (−4.8; −3.3), P<0.0001). The group with a stable BMI–SDS (n=58) tended to decrease their %BF by −0.5% (95% CI: (−1.1; 0.2), P=0.15), and the group increasing their BMI–SDS (n=25) increased their %BF by 1.6% (95% CI: (0.1; 3.1), P=0.04). Reductions in BMI–SDS were positively correlated to reductions in %BF (P<0.0001).

Conclusion: During multidisciplinary treatment of childhood obesity, a reduction in %BF may be possible even in children exhibiting a stable BMI–SDS indicating a favorable treatment response in a larger percentage of children treated.