Six-Month Dietary Changes in Ethnically Diverse, Obese Adolescents Participating in a Multidisciplinary Weight Management Program

This study's objective was to examine dietary and metabolic changes in obese adolescents who completed 6 months of participation in an outpatient multidisciplinary weight management program (N = 67). Participants (75% African American, 66% female, mean age = 13.7 years) completed 24-hour dietary recalls and underwent measurement of anthropometrics and fasting blood lipid parameters at baseline and after 6 months of participation. General linear models suggested that participants significantly reduced total energy, total fat, saturated fat, carbohydrate, sodium, and sugar intakes, and increased fiber and fruit and vegetable intake (P < .05). Gender-stratified models showed differences in fruit/vegetable intake, percentage calories from fat, sodium, and dietary cholesterol intakes by gender. Significant improvements in body mass index percentile and lipid profiles were also found, lending objective support to the dietary changes participants made. Findings suggest that participation in this multidisciplinary treatment helped participants make behaviorally based dietary changes, which were associated with improved dietary intakes and health status.