Intervention lessens obesity in girls

ORLANDO, Fla., Nov. 9 (UPI) -- U.S. researchers found a community intervention program succeeded in reducing the prevalence of obesity in African-American girls.

The Girls Health Enrichment Multisite Studies study, begun at the University of Memphis, recruited 303 parent-daughter pairs and randomly assigned153 into the active weight-gain intervention group, which focused on limiting high-fat foods, increasing water intake, reducing sweetened beverages, increasing fruits and vegetables and increasing physical activity. The other girls were assigned a group that emphasized self-esteem and social skills.

Although girls in both the GEMS group and the comparison group gained weight since they were still growing, the prevalence of girls who remained overweight and obese throughout the study dropped by 40 percent in the GEMS group by the end of the first year, compared to a drop of 21 percent among obese girls in the comparison group.

By the end of the second year, the prevalence of obesity among the girls in the GEMS group was about 30 percent less than at the beginning of the study, compared to a drop of 15 percent in the alternative intervention group.

The findings were presented at the annual American Heart Association's scientific sessions in Orlando, Fla.