Outcome data from the LEAP (Live, Eat and Play) trial: a randomized controlled trial of a primary care intervention for childhood overweight/mild obesity.

Objectives:To reduce gain in body mass index (BMI) in overweight/mildly obese children in the primary care setting.Design:Randomized controlled trial (RCT) nested within a baseline cross-sectional BMI survey.Setting:Twenty nine general practices, Melbourne, Australia.Participants:(1) BMI survey: 2112 children visiting their general practitioner (GP) April–December 2002; (2) RCT: individually randomized overweight/mildly obese (BMI z-score <3.0) children aged 5 years 0 months–9 years 11 months (82 intervention, 81 control).Intervention:Four standard GP consultations over 12 weeks, targeting change in nutrition, physical activity and sedentary behaviour, supported by purpose-designed family materials.Main outcome measures:Primary: BMI at 9 and 15 months post-randomization. Secondary: Parent-reported child nutrition, physical activity and health status; child-reported health status, body satisfaction and appearance/self-worth.Results:Attrition was 10%. The adjusted mean difference (intervention–control) in BMI was −0.2 kg/m² (95% CI: −0.6 to 0.1; P=0.25) at 9 months and −0.0 kg/m² (95% CI: −0.5 to 0.5; P=1.00) at 15 months. There was a relative improvement in nutrition scores in the intervention arm at both 9 and 15 months. There was weak evidence of an increase in daily physical activity in the intervention arm. Health status and body image were similar in the trial arms.Conclusions:This intervention did not result in a sustained BMI reduction, despite the improvement in parent-reported nutrition. Brief individualized solution-focused approaches may not be an effective approach to childhood overweight. Alternatively, this intervention may not have been intensive enough or the GP training may have been insufficient; however, increasing either would have significant cost and resource implications at a population level.International Journal of Obesity (2007) 31, 630–636. doi:10.1038/sj.ijo.0803509; published online 12 December 2006 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]