RESUMO Objetivo: Testar uma intervenção multidisciplinar e motivacional para o tratamento de adolescentes obesos brasileiros e de baixa renda (escore Z>2 IMC-para-idade) que utilizou o aconselhamento nutricional sem controle dietético. Métodos: Desenvolveu-se um protocolo de intervenção que incluiu a realização periódica de oficinas de educação nutricional, aconselhamento nutricional individual com auxílio do modelo transteórico de mudança do comportamento, prática de exercícios físicos, aconselhamento psicológico, atividades recreativas e acompanhamento clínico, durante 13 meses, em uma amostra de 21 adolescentes (11-17 anos). Resultados: A taxa de desistência do tratamento (9,5%) foi menor do que a verificada em estudos de controle dietético (30-60%). No início, 70% da amostra se encontrava no estágio de comportamento denominado pré-contemplação (sem intenção de mudança) e, ao final, 100% dos adolescentes que permaneceram passaram aos estágios de ação ou manutenção (mudaram o comportamento ou mantiveram a mudança por mais de seis meses). Observou-se diminuição média de IMC-para-idade (15%, p=0,038) e de gordura visceral (gordura inicial de 3,67±1,19 e final de 2,78±0,78 cm, p=0,02). O percentual de massa gorda diminuiu e o de massa magra aumentou, quando comparados os valores médios iniciais e finais (42±5% e 38±8%, p=0,04; 58±6% e 61±8%, p=0,03, respectivamente). Conclusões: A intervenção parece eficaz para gerar mudança de estilo de vida, acompanhada de melhoria do perfil antropométrico e de composição corporal. O protocolo de intervenção pode oferecer metodologia de fácil adaptação e baixo custo para serviços de saúde, com alta adesão e baixa taxa de abandono.

Quase dois bilhões de pessoas tem excesso de peso. Esse distúrbio alimentar vem acometendo cada vez mais crianças/adolescentes. Embora seja uma doença multicausal, há forte evidência da influência da propaganda e do ambiente obesogênico na mudança dos hábitos alimentares. As indústrias/comércio de alimentos desenvolveram técnicas capazes de gerar consumo excessivo através do desenvolvimento de sabores, imagens e técnicas de persuasão, e da produção de alimentos ricos em açúcar, sal e gordura que são nutrientes recompensadores e podem gerar vício alimentar. Este artigo debruça-se sobre a influência do consumo de alimentos palatáveis na neuroanatomia funcional do prazer e sua implicação para o vício alimentar. Discute ainda o Modelo Transteórico como ferramenta para intervenção no tratamento da obesidade.

Excess of weight is a serious public health concern in almost all countries, afflicting people of different ages and socioeconomic backgrounds. Studies have indicated the need for developing treatment strategies that intervene directly in the obesogenic environment. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a multi-component and environmental school-based intervention, lasting 16 months, on the recovery of the nutritional status of low-income children and adolescents with overweight/ obesity. The study was conducted by the Center for Recovery and Nutritional Education (CREN) in São Paulo, Brazil. Two schools located in poor neighborhoods were selected for the intervention, between March 2016 and June 2017. The participants were all students aged 8 to 12 years from the two participating schools. At the beginning of the intervention, anthropometric measurements were carried out to assess the nutritional status of the students. For convenience, students from one of the schools were considered as the control group, while those from the other school formed the experimental group. The intervention in the experimental group (n = 438) consists of the following weekly activities at school: psychological counseling in groups, theoretical/practical nutrition workshops, and supervised physical education classes. In addition, theoretical and practical educational activities are held regularly for parents, teachers, and cooks. Students with excess of weight (≥1 body mass index [BMI] –for-age Z score, n = 138) received clinical and nutritional care periodically at the outpatient care at CREN. Students enrolled in the control group (n = 353) participated in psychological counseling groups and theoretical/practical nutrition workshops for 6 months held in the school environment to provide motivation to entire classrooms. In the following 10 months, students with excess of weight from the control group (n = 125) were invited to attend the routine outpatient care at CREN. This study is the first to assess the effectiveness of a multi-component and environmental school-based intervention for the recovery of low-income, overweight/obese children and adolescents. If positive, the results demonstrate the feasibility for the recovery of excess of weight in populations of similar conditions and age. Brazilian Registry of Clinical Trials - ReBEC Primary Id Number RBR-9t2jr8 . Registration Date: Nov. 30, 2016. Retrospectively registered. Protocol version: 3.

We investigated if children with excess weight who submitted to two types of intervention at school for 16 months showed improvements in thyroid and glycemic function and food intake. Children (8–11 years) with a body mass index-for-age (BMI/A) of ≥1 Z score were divided into two groups: Treatment 1 (n = 73) involved motivation to adopt healthier lifestyle; Treatment 2 (n = 103) involved performing weekly nutritional education, motivational, and physical activities at school. A semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire was used. The delta BMI/A were similar after 16 months; Treatment 1 showed higher decrease in thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH; median (range)): −0.45 (−3.19 to 2.17) and 0.06 (−4.57 to 1.63) mIU/L, p = 0.001), FreeT3 (−0.46 (−2.92 to 1.54) and −0.15 (−2.46 to 1.38) pmol/L, p = 0.038), and FreeT4 −1.41 (−6.18 to 3.47) and −0.90 (−4.89 to 2.96) pmol/L, p = 0.018), followed by decrease in energy intake (7304 (6806 to 7840) and 8267 (7739 to 8832) kJ, Ptreatment = 0.439, Ptime <0.001, interaction group–time p < 0.001), macronutrients and sugar. A positive correlation between FreeT3 and BMI/A, and a negative correlation with FreeT4 and insulin were found at baseline (r 0.212, p < 0.01; r −0.155, p < 0.01, respectively) and follow-up (r 0.222, p < 0.01; r −0.221, p < 0.01). The decrease in overall diet and particularly sugar intake was accompanied by a greater reduction in TSH and FreeT3 in Treatment 1, demonstrating the impact of dietary intake on thyroid function.

The present study evaluated the association of food addiction (FA), the change of the BMI/agez-score and the consumption of ultra-processed foods in overweight students undergoing a 16-month, multicomponent intervention in the school environment. FA was investigated using the Yale Food Addiction Scale for Children, and the dietary assessment was estimated using the semi-quantitative FFQ in overweight 9–11-year-old students (BMI/agez-score ≥ 1) of both sexes at their baseline and after the intervention (n120). Among the schoolchildren, 33·4 % had FA in at least one of the two assessments. The analysis of mixed-effects models to assess the effect of the intervention and the change of the BMI/agez-score between evaluations showed that the occurrence of FA influenced the maintenance of weight (time#FA,β= 0·30, 95 % CI 0·05, 0·54,P= 0·016). Weight loss was observed only in individuals who did not present FA (BMI/agez-score = −0·3). When evaluating the effect of the intervention and the dietary variables, we verified a reduction in the consumption of sugary milk-based drinks −71·13 kJ (–17 kcal),P= 0·04 only in non-FA students at the end of the study. FA has been identified as an underlying factor with therapeutic relevance, and an enhanced understanding of FA can open new paths for the prevention and management of obesity.