A meta-analysis of the psychological treatment of obesity in children and adolescents found family-based behavioral treatment (FBT) and Parent-Only Behavior treatment to be the most effective practices in treating obesity in children within a psychological framework. Management
Obesity in children is treated with dietary changes and physical activity. Dieting and missing meals should; however, be discouraged. The benefit of tracking BMI and providing counselling around weight is minimal. Lifestyle
Exclusive breast-feeding is recommended in all newborn infants for its nutritional and other beneficial effects. Parents changing the diet and lifestyle of their offspring by offering appropriate food portions, increasing physical activity, and keeping sedentary behaviors at a minimum may also decrease the obesity levels in children.If children were more mobile and less sedentary, the rate of obesity would decrease. Parents should recognize the signs and encourage their children to be more physically active. By walking or riding a bike, instead of using motorised transport or watching television, will reduce sedentary activity. Medications
There are no medications currently approved for the treatment of obesity in children. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends medications for obesity be discourage. Orlistat and sibutramine may be helpful in managing moderate obesity in adolescence. Metformin is minimally useful. A Cochrane review in 2016 concluded that medications might reduce BMI and bodyweight to a small extent in obese children and adolescents. This conclusion was based only on low quality evidence.
35% of parents thought that their childs school was not teaching them enough about childhood obesity, and over 5% thought that childhood obesity was the greatest risk to their childs long-term health.A Northwestern University study indicates that inadequate sleep has a negative impact on a childs performance in school, their emotional and social welfare, and increases their risk of being overweight. This study was the first nationally represented, longitudinal investigation of the correlation between sleep, Body Mass Index (BMI) and overweight status in children between the ages of 3 and 18. The study found that an extra hour of sleep lowered the childrens risk of being overweight from 36% to 30%, while it lessened older childrens risk from 34% to 30%.A 2018 Cochrane review on the impact of physical activity, diet and other behavioral interventions for improving cognition and school achievement in children and adolescents found that school and community-based programs as part of an overall prevention program were beneficial.Obese children and adolescents are more likely to become obese as adults. For example, one study found that approximately 80% of children who were overweight at aged 10–15 years were obese adults at age 25 years. Another study found that 25% of obese adults were overweight as children.