Journal Article

Improved Diet Quality and Nutrient Adequacy in Children and Adolescents with Abdominal Obesity after a Lifestyle Intervention

Zazpe, Itziar, Morell-Azanza, Lydia, Azcona-sanjulian, Maria Cristina, Marti, Amelia, Ojeda-Rodríguez, Ana, Chueca, María J.

2018

Overview

High rates of childhood obesity require integral treatment with lifestyle modifications that achieve weight loss. We evaluated a lifestyle intervention on nutrient adequacy and diet quality in children and adolescents with abdominal obesity. A randomized controlled trial was performed on 107 participants, assigned either to a usual care group or to an intensive care group that followed a moderate hypocaloric Mediterranean diet and received nutritional education. Intake adequacy was evaluated using Dietary Reference Intakes and diet quality through the Diet Quality Index for Adolescents (DQI-A), the Healthy Lifestyle Diet-Index (HLD-I) and the Mediterranean Diet Quality Index (KIDMED). Both groups achieved a significant reduction in BMI standard deviation score (BMI-SDS), glucose and total cholesterol levels. Intake of Calcium, Iodine and vitamin D were higher in the intensive care group, with enhanced compliance with recommendations. Higher dietary scores were associated with lower micronutrient inadequacy. DQI-A and HLD-I were significantly higher in the intensive care group vs. usual care group after the treatment. In conclusion, we observed that an intensive lifestyle intervention was able to reduce BMI-SDS in children with abdominal obesity. Furthermore, participants significantly improved dietary indices getting closer to the nutritional recommendations. Therefore, these diet quality indices could be a valid indicator to evaluate micronutrient adequacy.

• Publisher: MDPI
• Subject: Adolescent / Adolescent Nutritional Physiological Phenomena / adolescents / Age Factors / body mass index / calcium / Child / Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena / childhood obesity / children / cholesterol / compliance / Diet, Mediterranean / Dietary Reference Intakes / Female / glucose / Healthy Diet / Humans / iodine / lifestyle / Male / Mediterranean diet / nutrition education / nutritional adequacy / Nutritional Status / Nutritive Value / Obesity, Abdominal - diagnosis / Obesity, Abdominal - diet therapy / Obesity, Abdominal - physiopathology / Patient Education as Topic / Pediatric Obesity - diagnosis / Pediatric Obesity - diet therapy / Pediatric Obesity - physiopathology / randomized clinical trials / Recommended Dietary Allowances / Risk Reduction Behavior / Spain / standard deviation / Time Factors / Treatment Outcome / vitamin D / Weight Loss