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St. Jude Program Reduces Weight Gain in Young African-American Girls |
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From EurekAlert! - Breaking News: A community-based weight control program designed by investigators now at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is the first such intervention to succeed for up to two years in reducing the prevalence of overweight children, according to a report presented at the American Heart Association meeting in Orlando, Florida. The study, begun at the University of Memphis (Tennessee) and called Girls health Enrichment Multisite Studies (GEMS), demonstrated a significant reduction in the prevalence of obesity among a group of 8- to 10-year old African-American girls, two years after the beginning of a program designed to reduce their body mass index (BMI). "Children from low income families are at high risk for obesity because they have access to fewer health services," Klesges said. "The educational materials developed for GEMS can be easily shared with other health care professionals and represent a tool for disseminating this program nationwide." The GEMS study recruited 303 parent-daughter pairs at 10 community centers in Memphis, Tenn. The researchers randomly assigned 153 pairs into the active intervention group, which focused on weight-gain prevention; and 150 to the alternative group that emphasized self-esteem and social skills. The objectives of these sessions included reducing participants' intake of high-fat foods, increasing water intake, reducing intake of sweetened beverages, increasing fruit and vegetable intake, increasing frequency of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and avoiding unhealthy behaviors. The GEMS girls did not appear to significantly increase their physical activity, which suggests that even without increased exercise, a proper diet can control weight gain in high-risk young girls, Klesges said.
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