Effect of a multidisciplinary school-based lifestyle intervention on body weight and metabolic variables in overweight and obese youth

SummaryAimTo study the effect of a multidisciplinary school-based lifestyle intervention for overweight and obese students attending vocational secondary school (VSE). VSE provides practice-oriented education in which young people learn a specific occupation.MethodsSubjects were recruited from a community sample of 869 adolescents in 14 secondary schools. Participants (age: 17.3 ± 1.3 years; BMI: 29.5 ± 3.7 kg/m2) were randomized into an intervention (N = 37) and control group (N = 39). Subjects of the intervention group were encouraged in choosing an active healthy lifestyle. Monthly school-based consultations with a dietician and a physiotherapist and free membership to a nearby fitness were provided for 6 months.ResultsMean weight change after 6 months was −2.23 kg in the intervention group compared to +1.39 kg in the control group (p < 0.001). This resulted in a change in BMI of −0.78 kg/m2 in the intervention group and +0.49 kg/m2 in the control group (p < 0.001). Waist circumference decreased significantly in the intervention group (−3.40 cm) compared to the control group (+1.05 cm; p = 0.011). Fasting glucose changed significantly in the intervention group (−3.72 mg/dl; p = 0.005) compared to −0.96 mg/dl (p = 0.256) in the control group.ConclusionA school-based multidisciplinary lifestyle intervention seems to be a promising strategy to reduce body weight and improve aspects of the metabolic syndrome.