A meta-analysis of family-behavioral weight-loss treatments for children

Childhood obesity is a major concern in the United States. Because children's diets can be significantly influenced by parental behavior (e.g., food purchases, meal preparation), researchers have included family intervention components in some childhood weight-loss programs. The relative benefits of adding the family component have not been well-established. This meta-analysis compared the mean effect sizes of family-behavioral, other treatment, and control weight-loss groups for children. A comprehensive literature review identified 16 studies with a total of 44 treatment groups. Results indicated that interventions containing a family-behavioral component produced larger effect sizes than the alternative treatment groups. This demonstrates that the inclusion of a family component may be advantageous to a child's weight-loss treatment.