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. 2008 Jul 19;152(29):1628-33.

[First favourable results of the group education programme Go4it for overweight and obese adolescents]

[Article in Dutch]
G H Hofsteenge  1 , P J M Weijs, M J M Chin A Paw, H A Delemarre-van de Waal
Affiliations
  • PMID: 18998271

[First favourable results of the group education programme Go4it for overweight and obese adolescents]

[Article in Dutch]
G H Hofsteenge et al. Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd. .

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the effect of Go4it, a multidisciplinary group education programme for adolescents with overweight or obesity.

Design: Uncontrolled intervention study.

Method: At the obesity outpatient clinic of the Transmural Research and Treatment Centre for Overweight and Obese Children of the VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, a group education programme was developed for adolescents (age 12-18 year) who are overweight or obese. Obese adolescents who were referred to the obesity outpatient clinic were asked to participate. During 7 sessions (one session every two weeks) the adolescents were educated on the health consequences of obesity, diet, physical activity, energy balance, improving self-esteem and how to handle bullying and other difficult situations. All sessions were held in groups of 8-10 adolescents. In addition, two sessions were organised for the parents concerning the health consequences of obesity, diet, and physical activity. Body weight and height, glucose tolerance (by an oral glucose tolerance test; OGTT), and insulin resistance were measured at enrolment into the Go4it programme and 6 months later.

Results: In total, 93 adolescents (39 boys, 54 girls) were included with a mean age of 3.9 (SD: 1.7) years. Of those, 69 adolescents (74%) attended at least 6 out of 7 sessions of the education programme. Stabilisation or reduction in obesity levels following completion of Go4it was achieved in 51 (74%) of these participants. 50 adolescents had a second OGTT. The BMI standard deviation score (BMI-sds) decreased by 4.3% for boys (p = 0.020) and 3.3% for girls (p = 0.017). Among girls, fasting blood glucose levels decreased by an average of 0.37 mmol/l (95% CI: 0.14-0.60) and insulin concentrations decreased by an average of 299 pmol/l (95% CI: 71-528).

Conclusion: Participation in the Go4it education programme is accompanied by a stabilisation or reduction in the level of obesity and has favourable effects on glucose and insulin metabolism.

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