The Prevalence and Treatment of Obesity in Adolescence (Weight Control)

290 p.Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1985.The bleak outlook for obese children who do not attain normal weight by the end of adolescence and the high incidence of obesity in children make adolescent obesity a major public health problem. The prevalence of obesity in a local population of 12 and 13 year-olds was 19% or greater as determined by a health screening of 400 junior high school students on two successive years. Intervention was indicated from the high prevalence of obesity and a study was designed (1) to develop, implement and evaluate an intervention program for obese adolescent girls, (2) to discriminate completers from dropouts, and (3) to identify contributors to changes in health parameters. A pilot study and two treatment replications were conducted for twenty-six 12-15 year-old obese girls, passed menarche. Weight Winners, a multicomponent and multidisciplinary intervention program, was developed. Evaluation results of 12 completers from before, after and at a 7-9 month follow-up indicated that the treatment program was successful in (1) reducing rate of gain and decreasing ideal body weight by 11% while maintaining lean tissue and basal metabolic rate, (2) improving cardiovascular fitness, self-esteem and self-control, and (3) improving eating and exercise behaviors. Program completers were discriminated from non-completers by having better educated parents, being older, having lower resting heart rates and having a sibling overweight. Implementing a fee contingent on attendance and on record keeping greatly reduced attrition. Subjects cited the Weight Winners program, aerobic exercise, changes in eating behaviors, group and family support, and encouragement and praise from the group leader as important contributors to success in weight control. Barriers to change were reported by participants as boredom, hunger, lack of family and peer group support and having food in sight. The treatment of adolescent obesity is complex, but one which can be successful if given appropriate treatment goals, motivated adolescents, a good multidisciplinary and multicomponent intervention program, a conducive setting, parental support, and enthusiastic and understanding instructors.U of I OnlyRestricted to the U of I community idenfinitely during batch ingest of legacy ETD