Weight Change among Mexican American Students Involved in an Intensive Intervention to Prevent and Treat Obesity

The current study examined the effects of an intensive weight management intervention for Mexican American adolescents. A total of 228 adolescents were randomized to an environmental health promotion program (EHPP) or EHPP plus intensive intervention (EHPP+II). The EHPP consisted of a school‐wide intervention to promote healthy behaviors and included a physical education class. Children in the EHPP+II condition were exposed to the school‐wide intervention, but their PE class was replaced with an intensive multi‐component program comprised of nutrition and physical activity education, snacking intervention, and behavior modification. Overall, there was a significant reduction in zBMI among all students at 1 year (F= 40.75, p<.001) and there was a significant interaction (F= 3.31, p<.05). RANOVAs indicated no significant difference in change in zBMI between the EHPP+II and EHPP groups for healthy weight children (F=.967, ns). However, there was a significant interaction effect for overweight and obese children (F=3.45, p<.05). Both groups significantly decreased their zBMI at 6 months; however, at 12 months the students in the EHPP+II maintained their original losses, while students in the EHPP group increased their zBMI. This study suggests that a school‐wide health promotion program can reduce zBMI in overweight and obese children and may prevent increase in zBMI for normal weight children. Supported by the USDA.