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Study conducted in collaboration with Meir Medical Center, Kfar Saba-Ra’anana,
Israel, May 16, 2005
The Israel Heart Fund (IHF) announced today the publication
of a study, conducted in collaboration with Meir Medical Center
in Kfar Saba, Israel, on the short- and long-term beneficial
effects of a combined dietary-behavioral-physical activity
intervention for the treatment of childhood obesity. The study,
published in PEDIATRICS (Vol. 115, No. 4, April 2005), the
leading journal of pediatrics and the official journal of
the American Academy of Pediatrics, highlights the importance
of multidisciplinary programs for the treatment of childhood
obesity.
The study included 54 children and adolescents, with 30 assigned
randomly to the intervention group and 24 to the control group.
The subjects and parents in the intervention group were provided
theoretical and practical information on childhood obesity,
nutrition, and exercise over a three-month period. Short term
results at the end of three months, and long-term data at
one year, permitted intensive assessment of program benefits
not only during the intervention but during the longer follow-up
period as well.
“We are proud to be part of this innovative study together
with Meir Medical Center. The treatment of childhood obesity
is a crucial step in the long-term eradication of heart disease
as the leading cause of death and disability in both Israel
and the U.S.,” said Professor Morton Leibowitz, President
and Founder of the Israel Heart Fund. “IHF’s goal
is to control and reduce cardiovascular risk factors, and
we believe that this research is perfectly in line with our
objectives.”
Obesity has become the most common pediatric chronic disease
in the modern era. Over the past 20 years, the number of overweight
children has doubled, with 20-25% of children now being overweight.
This phenomenon is now considered to be the most widespread
chronic disease among children. Furthermore, data show that
the amount of physical activity that children engage in has
declined dramatically in recent years. With these facts in
hand, the idea of promoting a multidisciplinary approach to
treating obesity has taken on greater significance in planning
for our children’s healthy futures.
“We are very encouraged by the results of this study,
and are grateful to the Israel Heart Fund for supporting our
research,” said Dr. Dan Nemet of the Department of Pediatrics,
Child Health and Sports Center at Meir Medical Center, and
an Israel Heart Fund Fellow. “Our findings indicate
that multidisciplinary pediatric programs seem to be more
successful than adult programs in maintenance of long-term
weight loss. We believe that this information can form the
basis for revolutionizing the treatment of childhood obesity
in Israel and throughout the world.”
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