Effects of a multidisciplinary program of obesity treatment on risk factors for metabolic syndrome in children in prepubertal, pubertal and adolescent stages

Differences between genders

Abstract

 

Objective. To analyze the effects of a multidisciplinary program of obesity treatment (PMTO) on risk factors for metabolic syndrome (MS) in children and adolescents at prepubertal, pubertal and adolescents stages according to gender.

Method. The study included 69 obese children and adolescents aged 10 to 18 years. They were allocated to the intervention group (GI) (n = 37) and control group (GC) (n = 32). There were 23 girls in GI and 14 in GC. The GI was submitted to the multidisciplinary intervention, lasting 16 weeks. It was assessed anthropometric parameters, cardiorespiratory fitness and risk factor for MS.

Results. We found that the GI achieved a reduction in the prevalence of MS (7.1 % for boys and 8.7 % for girls), and in GC a maintenance for girls and increasing for boys. For dyslipidemia, a reduction in GI for both genders (boys 78.6 % to 71.4 %; girls 82.6 % to 65.2 %), and increasing in GC for both genders. GI Girls had significant improvements for the variables, body mass index, waist circumference, hip circumference and insulin sensibility which was not observed in GI boys who increased lean body mass.

Conclusion. The findings show that 16 weeks of multidisciplinary intervention based on cognitive behavioral therapy are sufficient to promote decreasing in the prevalence of MS and dyslipidemia in obese children and adolescents.