Multi-Professional Interventions to Manage Obesity in Adolescents during Holidays

Periods such as holidays are associated with weight gain in adolescents. Multi-professional interventions can significantly help to manage obesity and prevent unhealthy behaviours during these periods. OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated a health promotion programme including nutrition education, psychoeducation and physical activity for overweight adolescents during school holidays. METHODS: Forty-three overweight adolescents (mean age 11.7 ± 3.1 years) participated in a longitudinal, repeated measures study with follow-up. The 32-week intervention consisted of two 12-week phases, each followed by a 4-week holiday, with five assessment points. Main outcome measures included body mass, height (for BMI), circumference, body composition (lean and fat mass, skeletal muscle, body fat percentage, visceral fat), blood pressure, biochemical markers (triglycerides, cholesterol, LDL-c, HDL-c), and physical tests (handgrip strength, flexibility, push-ups, sit-ups). The programme included weekly nutrition education, psychoeducation sessions and bi-weekly physical exercises, analysed by repeated measures ANOVA (p < 0.05). RESULTS: After the intervention, there were improvements in diastolic blood pressure, lean mass, skeletal muscle mass, HDL-c, strength, flexibility and endurance, with reductions in BMI, body fat percentage and LDL-c. During the first holiday, systolic and diastolic blood pressure and fasting blood glucose decreased (p < 0.05). However, during the second holiday, glucose and LDL-c increased (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The interventions showed sustained benefits despite the holiday break. Future school-based programmes should develop health strategies to maintain a healthy weight to ensure continued improvements after the intervention. Supported by: Araucaria Foundation and Cesumar Institute of Science, Technology and Innovation