Skip Navigation



IJE Advance Access published online on September 19, 2006
International Journal of Epidemiology, doi:10.1093/ije/dyl208
This Article
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF) Freely available
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
35/6/1544    most recent
dyl208v1
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Gibson, L. J.
Right arrow Articles by dos Santos Silva, I.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Gibson, L. J.
Right arrow Articles by dos Santos Silva, I.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the International Epidemiological Association © The Author 2006; all rights reserved.
Accepted August 23, 2006

Original paper

Lack of evidence on diets for obesity for children: a systematic review

Lorna J. Gibson 1, Julian Peto 1, Janet M. Warren 2, and Isabel dos Santos Silva 1 *

1 Cancer Research UK Epidemiology and Genetics Group, Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London WC1E 7HT, UK
2 School of Health Sciences, Nutrition and Dietetics, Mailbox 38, University Newcastle, Callaghan NSW 2308, Australia

* To whom correspondence should be addressed.
Isabel dos Santos Silva, E-mail: isabel.silva{at}lshtm.ac.uk


  Abstract

Background The prevalence of obesity has increased rapidly in most developed countries in the last decades, and this rise is now spreading to developing countries. Childhood obesity is also increasing. The UK government has set a target to halt the rise in childhood obesity by 2010. Dietary recommendations are a central component of any comprehensive weight-loss programme. A low-fat energy-restricted diet is the conventional therapy for obesity, but alternative dietary interventions have been proposed in recent years.

Methods We conducted a systematic review to assess dietary intervention studies designed to reduce weight in childhood and adolescence. The studies included overweight or obese children or adolescents in which there was a comparison group and change in body weight or BMI was reported.

Results We identified only nine such studies, seven of which were randomized. Six were conducted in the USA, two in Cuba, and one in France. Low-carbohydrate and low-glycaemic-index diets appeared to be at least as effective as energy-restricted low-fat diets for short-term weight loss, but most studies were too small to be informative, and none provided evidence on long-term weight control.

Conclusions There is a marked mismatch between the public health importance of childhood obesity and the number and quality of the studies conducted so far to assess dietary interventions for weight reduction in childhood and adolescence, and little evidence to support the current recommendation of a low-fat energy-restricted diet. There is an urgent need for well-designed intervention studies of the long-term effectiveness of alternative diets to provide a basis for evidence-based recommendations.

Keywords: Obesity; overweight; childhood; adolescence; dietary interventions; weight-loss.
Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 J Public Health (Oxf)Home page
Y. Gao, S. Griffiths, and E. Y. Y. Chan
Community-based interventions to reduce overweight and obesity in China: a systematic review of the Chinese and English literature
J. Public Health Med., December 1, 2008; 30(4): 436 - 448.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Arch Pediatr Adolesc MedHome page
D. L. Paineau, F. Beaufils, A. Boulier, D.-A. Cassuto, J. Chwalow, P. Combris, C. Couet, B. Jouret, L. Lafay, M. Laville, et al.
Family Dietary Coaching to Improve Nutritional Intakes and Body Weight Control: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med, January 1, 2008; 162(1): 34 - 43.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Int J EpidemiolHome page
Kitchiner and Trotsky on health promotion.
Int. J. Epidemiol., December 1, 2006; 35(6): 1377 - 1378.
[Full Text] [PDF]


Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.