The Effect of Dietary Behavior Modification on Anthropometric Indices in Obese Adolescent Female Students

Objective: Obesity is currently the most prevalent nutritional disease of children and adolescents, prevention and treatment of which, is required. The purpose of this study was to identify the effect of dietary behavior modification on anthropometric indices in the obese adolescent female students of Shiraz, 2007. Methods: In this Quasi-experimental research, 53 obese adolescent girls (BMI>95th percentile), aged 11 to 15 years, participated in a behavior modification program which lasted for 16 weeks (4 hours each week). The Subjects were chosen from two different schools and were assigned to two groups of experimental (=24) and control (=29) randomly. The Program included teaching problem solving, stress management (yoga), teaching healthy eating, physical behavior and parent education. Anthropometric indices were assessed just before and after the program and also two months later for follow up. The data were analyzed by SPSS 11.5 by using descriptive and analytic test and the statistical significance was considered at P<0.05.Findings: There were significant differences in changes in body weight (-2.75 kg vs. 0.62 kg), BMI (-1.07 kg/m2 vs. 0.24 kg/m2) and arm circumference (-2.31 cm vs. 0.5 cm) in the experimental versus the control group (P<0.001).Conclusion: This study reveals that behavioral modification program has a great effect on decreasing the body mass index. Parents, school nurses and other support groups should be encouraged to participate in this program.