Changes in Adiposity without Impacting Bone Health in Nine- to Twelve-Year-Old Children with Overweight and Obesity after a One-Year Family-Centered Lifestyle Behavior Intervention.

Few family-centered lifestyle interventions (FCLIs) for children with overweight or obesity (OW/OB) have assessed regional adiposity and bone health. This study assessed changes in adiposity in 9- to 12-year olds with OW/OB in a 1-year FCLI. Children were randomized to FCLI (six registered dietitian-led sessions) or no intervention (Control, CTRL). The FCLI focused on physical activity, nutrition education, and behavioral counseling children with families present. Assessments occurred at baseline and every 3 months for 1 year to assess changes in waist circumference (WC), body mass index for age-and-sex Z-scores (BAZ), body composition (dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry), and cardiometabolic biomarkers. Mixed models were used to determine the effects of group and time or group-by-time interactions for all outcomes. Sixty children (age: 11.1 ± 1.1 years, BAZ: 2.7 ± 0.6) were enrolled; 55 participants ( = 28 CTRL,  = 27 FCLI) completed the study. There were no between group differences from baseline to follow-up for any measure. The FCLI group had significant decreases in BAZ over 12 months (-0.18 ± 0.27,  = 0.03) but not CTRL (-0.05 ± 0.32,  = 0.92). WC and android fat mass did not change in FCLI ( > 0.20) but increased in CTRL ( < 0.02). Whole body bone area, content, and areal bone mineral density (aBMD) increased in both groups ( < 0.010); whole body aBMD Z-score decreased by 5.8% and 1.6% in CTRL and FCLI, respectively ( < 0.001). There were no significant within group changes in biomarkers. The FCLI resulted in small reductions in BAZ and a plateau in android fat mass, which suggest that FCLIs are suitable as an intervention for 9- to 12-year-old children with OW/OB. Clinical Trial Registration number: NCT01290016.