Impact of a management strategy on child and adolescent overweight

Abstract

AIMS: To evaluate, through anthropometric and biochemical parameters, the impact of an overweight management strategy implemented in an outpatient clinic for childhood obesity in a public hospital. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of a cohort of 206 children and adolescents with a diagnosis of obesity or overweight, aged between 5 and 17 years, attended between 2010 and 2014 with an average period of three months during one year. The strategy evaluated consisted of counseling, with guidelines aimed at reducing sedentary activity time and increased physical activity and nutritional guidelines for healthier food choices. Were evaluated anthropometric parameters (body mass index, z-escore of body mass index by age, waist circumference, hip circumference and waist hip ratio) and biochemistry (fasting glucose, fasting insulinemia, homeostasis model assessment, total cholesterol (CT), high density lipoprotein (HDL-c), low density lipoprotein (LDL-c), triclycerides (TG) at the baseline, at 6 and 12 months of follow-up. Statistical analyzes were performed in the IBM SPSS Statistics 22.0, using the Generalized Estimating Equations model. RESULTS: In 12 months, there was a significant reduction in BMI, Z score of BMI/age, percentage of individuals with BMI/age z score ≥ +2, WHR, percentage of individuals with WC > p90 and HC (p<0,001). Serum glycemia and insulin levels did not show significant reduction, only a trend, as did TC, LDL-c and TG, but HDL-c levels had a significant increase (p=0.035). CONCLUSIONS: This strategy of management of childhood and adolescent overweight, based on counseling, made it possible to reduce significantly the levels of overweight, although the biochemical parameters were not reduced in the same proportion.