Background: Obesity is a global and severe health problem. Due to genetic heterogeneity, the identification of genetic defects in patients with obesity can be time consuming and costly. Therefore, we developed a custom diagnostic targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based analysis to simultaneously identify mutations in 52 obesity-related genes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: To examine changes in generic and weight-related, health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in children and adolescents with severe obesity participating in intensive lifestyle treatment, and to examine whether changes in SDS-BMI were associated with changes in HRQoL.
Methods: In this prospective observational study, a referred sample of 120 children and adolescents (8-19 years) with severe obesity (SDS-BMI ≥ 3.0, or ≥ 2.
Background: Considering the large economic consequences of severe childhood obesity for the society, we aimed to conduct an economic evaluation comparing two intensive 1-year lifestyle treatments with varying inpatient periods for severely obese children and adolescents with regard to standard deviation score BMI (SDS-BMI) and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs).
Methods: An economic evaluation from a societal perspective accompanying a randomized controlled trial with a 24-month follow-up. 80 participants (8-19 years) with severe obesity were included.
Background: Intensive inpatient lifestyle treatment may be a suitable alternative for severely obese children and adolescents who do not benefit from ambulatory obesity treatment. The aim was to evaluate the effectiveness of two intensive one-year lifestyle treatments with varying inpatient periods for severely obese children and adolescents with regard to SDS-BMI and cardiometabolic risk factors.
Methods: The study was designed as a randomized controlled trial with two active treatment groups.
Background: The prevalence of severe obesity in children and adolescents is increasing. However, little is known about cardiometabolic risk factors and quality of life of children with severe obesity.Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the demographic characteristics and the prevalence of cardiometabolic risk factors and quality of life in severely obese children and adolescents undergoing intensive inpatient treatment for obesity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Accurate prediction scores for liver steatosis are demanded to enable clinicians to noninvasively screen for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Several prediction scores have been developed, however external validation is lacking.
Objective: The aim was to determine the diagnostic accuracy of four existing prediction scores in severely obese children, to develop a new prediction score using novel biomarkers and to compare these results to the performance of ultrasonography.
Despite the reported limited success of conventional treatments and growing evidence of the effectiveness of adult bariatric surgery, weight loss operations for (morbidly) obese children and adolescents are still considered to be controversial by health care professionals and lay people alike. This paper describes an explorative, qualitative study involving obesity specialists, morbidly obese adolescents, and parents and identifies attitudes and normative beliefs regarding pediatric bariatric surgery. Views on the etiology of obesity-whether it should be considered primarily a medical condition or more a psychosocial problem-seem to affect the specialists' normative opinions concerning the acceptability of bariatric procedures as a treatment option, the parents' feelings regarding both being able to influence their child's health and their child being able to control their own condition, and the adolescents' sense of competence and motivation for treatment.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBMC Pediatr
March 2013
Background: Adequate treatment of severe childhood obesity is important given its serious social, psychological and physical consequences. Self-regulation may be a crucial determinant of treatment success. Yet, little is known about the role that self-regulation and other psychosocial factors play in the long-term outcome of obesity treatment in severely obese children and adolescents.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: To assess the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in severely obese children and adolescents.
Methods: A nationwide prospective surveillance study was carried out from July 2005 to July 2007 where paediatricians were asked to report all new cases of severe obesity in 2-18-year-old children to the Dutch Paediatric Surveillance Unit. Severe obesity is defined by gender and age-dependent cut-off points for body mass index based on Dutch National Growth Studies corresponding to the adult cut-off point of 35 kg/m(2).
Purpose: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of ultrasonography (US) for the assessment of hepatic steatosis in severely obese adolescents, with proton magnetic resonance (MR) spectroscopy as the reference standard, and to provide insight on the influence of prevalence on predictive values by calculating positive and negative posttest probabilities.
Materials And Methods: This prospective study was institutional review board approved. All participants, and/or their legal representatives, gave written informed consent.
Background: Intensive combined lifestyle interventions are the recommended treatment for severely obese children and adolescents, but there is a lack of studies and their cost-effectiveness. The objective of this study is to compare the cost-effectiveness of two intensive one-year inpatient treatments and usual care for severely obese children and adolescents.
Methods/design: Participants are 40 children aged 8-13 and 40 adolescents aged 13-18 with severe obesity (SDS-BMI ≥ 3.
Background: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has a high prevalence in obese children. Lifestyle intervention is the primary treatment for NAFLD. However, limited data are available regarding the efficacy of lifestyle interventions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Increasing activity levels in adolescents with obesity requires the development of exercise programs that are both attractive to adolescents and easily reproducible. The aim of this study was to develop a modular aerobic training program for adolescents with severe obesity, with a focus on variety, individual targets and acquiring physical skills. We report here the effects on aerobic fitness from a pilot study.
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