Quality of life in Brazilian obese adolescents: effects of a long-term multidisciplinary lifestyle therapy

Background: Obesity has adverse physical, social, and economic consequences that can negatively affect quality of life (QOL). Thus the aim of this study was to verify the effects of a long-term multidisciplinary lifestyle intervention on QOL, body image, anxiety, depression and binge eating in obese adolescents.Methods: Sixty-six obese adolescents (41 girls and 25 boys; BMI: 35.62 +/- 4.18 kg/m(2)) were recruited from the Multidisciplinary Obesity Intervention Program outpatient clinic, and were submitted to a multidisciplinary lifestyle therapy (short-term = 12 weeks and long-term = 24 weeks), composed of medical, dietary, exercise and psychological programs. Validated self-report questionnaires were used to assess symptoms of anxiety Trait/State (STAI); depression (BDI); binge eating (BES), body image dissatisfaction (BSQ) and QOL (SF-36). Data were analyzed by means of scores; comparisons were made by ANOVA for repeated measures, and Tukey's test as post-hoc and Students T test.Results: Long-term therapy decreased depression and binge eating symptoms, body image dissatisfaction, and improved QOL in girls, whereas, for boys, 24 weeks, were effective to reduce anxiety trait/state and symptoms of binge eating, and to improve means of dimensions of QOL (p <.05).Conclusion: A long-term multidisciplinary lifestyle therapy is effective to control psychological aspects and to improve QOL in obese adolescents.AFIPConselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)CENESPFADAFundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)UNIFESPCEPE-GEO Multidisciplinary Obesity Intervention ProgramUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Paulista Sch Med, Post Grad Program Nutr, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Hlth Sci, Santos, SP, BrazilUniv Fed Pernambuco, Dept Phys Educ, Recife, PE, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Paulista Sch Med, Dept Psychobiol, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Paulista Sch Med, Post Grad Program Nutr, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Hlth Sci, Santos, SP, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Paulista Sch Med, Dept Psychobiol, São Paulo, BrazilFAPESP: 9814303-3Web of Scienc