The care of children and adolescents with obesity needs to be improved. International studies show that frequent follow-up visits, every two weeks, are most effective in maintaining behavioral changes.
“But it’s not feasible, neither for the families nor the healthcare system. We, therefore, need to find new ways to provide more support,” says Emilia Hagman, a researcher at the Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology who in a study evaluated a new digital tool, a mobile app from the company Evira.
The study is a so-called pragmatic study, which means that the participants were not randomized, but rather, the treatments were evaluated in a real-life clinical setting.
Childhood Obesity - Criteria - Causes - Complications, Treatment
Childhood obesity is one of the most serious health challenges in the developing countries and needs to be understood and tackled effectively.
Childhood obesity is one of the most serious health challenges in the developing countries and needs to be understood and tackled effectively.
‘Mobile app helps children and adolescents to lose weight and the family can also view and track the weight loss process.’
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Results Improved by 100%
One hundred children who attended the Martina Children’s hospital (Martina Centrum för Vikthälsa) in Stockholm were able to try the digi-physical treatment concept over a period of one year. The app is connected to a scale that has no numbers on it, which the child would stand on each day.In the app, the family sees their child’s weight development as a curve that should be within a green weight target development curve. The target curve was determined individually and updated during physical visits every three months.
Healthcare professionals had access to the same data. Via a chat function, healthcare personnel could offer extra support, or the parents could ask for extra support if needed.
To ensure efficacy, these children were compared with 300 children from the Swedish childhood obesity treatment register, BORIS, who were receiving usual care at other clinics in the country during the same period and were selected randomly but who were matched in terms of age and sex.
The families who used the app achieved twice as good results compared to the control group, that is, greater weight loss.
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Mantra to Prevent Childhood Obesity � Vigorous Physical Activity
Being physically very active is the mantra to prevent pediatric obesity rather than concentrating efforts at restricting energy consumption.
Being physically very active is the mantra to prevent pediatric obesity rather than concentrating efforts at restricting energy consumption.
Worked Well for Adolescents
“This is the first app whereby healthcare professionals and the family can monitor the child’s weight development in real-time,” says the study’s last author Pernilla Danielsson Liljeqvist, a researcher at the Karolinska Institutet. “It was particularly gratifying that it worked so well for adolescents, who we otherwise have not been able to reach with behavior-changing therapy. The app provides more support through continuous feedback, which creates clarity with regard to the treatment. We could not note any side effects associated with the treatment, for example in the form of eating disorders.”One limitation of the study is that it was carried out in only one clinic. There is also a lack of data as to how many physical visits the people in the control group had.
“We know that the pediatric obesity treatment in Sweden is focused on behavioral change and the control group’s results are in line with BORIS’ annual report and major international reviews,” says Pernilla Danielsson Liljeqvist. “A calculation of the cost of the treatment was also not included. We must first know that it works.”
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Ways to Combat Childhood Obesity During the COVID-19 Lockdown
COVID-19 has disrupted children's lives in many ways with no schools and no means for recreation outdoors. The added stress of uncertainty has led to children engaging in unhealthy eating habits with no physical activity.
COVID-19 has disrupted children's lives in many ways with no schools and no means for recreation outdoors. The added stress of uncertainty has led to children engaging in unhealthy eating habits with no physical activity.
Needed Further More Tests in Clinics
Evira’s mobile app is included in Vårdvalet (Reimbursed treatment) in Region Stockholm in Sweden from 1 June 2022, so it is going to be used in more clinics. The researchers are also planning an international study with several European countries.The study was carried out in collaboration with the Martina Children’s hospital. It was financed by Region Stockholm, Vinnova, Swelife and Medtech4Health, the Swedish Order of Freemasons Children’s Foundation in Stockholm and Evira AB. Co-author Claude Kollin is the CEO of Martina Children’s hospital.
Source-Eurekalert
Childhood Obesity: A Sign for Poor Heart Health
Children with higher BMI are silently at risk of developing cardiometabolic risk by 11 to 12 years. Therefore, there is an urgent need for effective action plan to reduce overweight and obesity in early childhood.
Children with higher BMI are silently at risk of developing cardiometabolic risk by 11 to 12 years. Therefore, there is an urgent need for effective action plan to reduce overweight and obesity in early childhood.
