Conclusion
obesity
OBESITY, CHILDHOOD OBESITY
To strengthen the evidence-base for early childhood obesity treatment, long-term results from RCTs are needed. In this study, the long-term development of weight status 48 months after an obesity treatment intervention was analyzed through four different metrics. In three out of the four, the most intensive treatment – a parent support program with follow-up booster sessions – emerged as significantly more effective than standard treatment. However, no significant differences between the groups were noted when BMI-SDS results were compared. Given the lack of similar RCTs with long-term follow-up using different measures of weight status, we are likely the first to encounter this discrepancy between metrics. More studies are needed to identify the best measure of weight status in growing children.