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AimThis study investigates the prevalence of disturbed eating behaviours in children and adolescents initiating obesity treatment, and how the prevalence varies with age, sex and body mass index (BMI) standard deviation score (SDS). Secondly, it examines whether the presence of disturbed eating behaviours at enrolment is associated with the degree of weight loss after 12months of treatment. MethodsA total of 3621 patients aged 3-18years enrolled in a multidisciplinary obesity treatment programme were studied. Follow-up data after a median of 12.4 months were available for 2055 patients. Upon entry, patients were assessed for the following disturbed eating behaviours: meal skipping, emotional eating, overeating and rapid eating. Height and weight were measured at baseline and follow-up. ResultsAt enrolment, median age was 11.4years, median BMI SDS was 2.87, and 82.2% of patients exhibited one or more disturbed eating behaviours. The prevalence of meal skipping, emotional eating and rapid eating increased with age (P <0.01). Patients who reported overeating or rapid eating exhibited a 0.06-0.11 higher BMI SDS at enrolment than patients without these disturbed eating behaviours (P <0.02). After 1year of treatment, BMI SDS was reduced in 75.7% of patients, and the median reduction was 0.24 (95% confidence interval: 0.22-0.27). Overeating was associated with a higher degree of weight loss, while meal skipping, emotional eating and rapid eating did not associate with the degree of weight loss at follow-up. ConclusionsDisturbed eating behaviours were highly prevalent in children and adolescents with overweight or obesity, and varied with age and sex. After 1year of treatment, the degree of obesity improved, regardless of the presence of disturbed eating behaviours at treatment initiation.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of a genetic risk score (GRS) comprising 15 single-nucleotide polymorphisms, previously shown to associate with childhood BMI, on the baseline cardiometabolic traits and the response to a lifestyle intervention in Danish children and adolescents. Children and adolescents with overweight or obesity (n = 920) and a population-based control sample (n = 698) were recruited. Anthropometric and biochemical measures were obtained at baseline and in a subgroup of children and adolescents with overweight or obesity again after 6 to 24 months of lifestyle intervention (n = 754). The effects of the GRS were examined by multiple linear regressions using additive genetic models. At baseline, the GRS associated with BMI standard deviation score (SDS) both in children and adolescents with overweight or obesity (β = 0.033 [SE = 0.01]; P = 0.001) and in the population-based sample (β = 0.065 [SE = 0.02]; P = 0.001). No associations were observed for cardiometabolic traits. The GRS did not influence changes in BMI SDS or cardiometabolic traits following lifestyle intervention. A GRS for childhood BMI was associated with BMI SDS but not with other cardiometabolic traits in Danish children and adolescents. The GRS did not influence treatment response following lifestyle intervention.