Study will test parent-child weight loss program using meal replacements Lawrence Cheskin, MD, has announced plans for an 18-month clinical study with overweight or obese boys and girls, ages 8-15, and their parents, to test the effectiveness of a joint parent-child weight loss program using meal replacements. Dr. Cheskin, principal investigator and director of the Johns Hopkins Weight Management Center, is interested in testing this new approach to promoting weight loss, weight maintenance, and wellness for children and adolescents. “A systematic review of randomized controlled trials indicates that positive parental involvement is associated with weight loss in children, especially when a wide range of behavior changing techniques are employed,” says Dr. Cheskin. “Although there have been other adolescent obesity studies, we found none that investigated the use of meal replacements in obese children and adolescents where weight loss was the primary outcome measure.” The study will determine whether the joint parent-child approach using Medifast meal replacements will result in greater weight loss than children dieting alone. The prevalence of overweight and obesity among children and adolescents has increased over 50% in the past 20 years and now affects more than one in four young people. When a person is obese as a child, there is increased likelihood of being obese as an adult and obesity in adulthood is associated with significant morbidity and increased likelihood of early mortality. Obesity in children and adolescents can cause psychological problems including depression, as well as medical problems including risk of glucose intolerance, type II diabetes mellitus, hyperinsulinemia, hypercholesterolmia, hypertension, asthma, joint difficulties, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis and menstrual irregularities. “By targeting overweight and obesity during childhood and adolescence, we can help prevent or reduce the physical and psychological cost of this epidemic,” says Dr. Cheskin.
For more information about the study or enrollment eligibility, please call Amy Mitchell at 410-847-3600.
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