The association between weight loss in caregivers and adolescents in a treatment trial of adolescents with obesity.

OBJECTIVE The relationship between weight change in caregivers and their adolescents was evaluated following a randomized trial of lifestyle modification for adolescents, which included either a conventional diet or meal replacements. METHODS Adolescents (N = 113) had an M ± SD age of 15.0 ± 1.3 years (62% African American; 26% Caucasian, 12% other; 81% female) and body mass index of 37.1 ± 5.1 kg/m(2). RESULTS Mixed effects models yielded a significant association between percentage change in body mass index of caregivers and adolescents from baseline to months 4 and 12 (p = .01). When caregivers lost above the median (-1.67%) at month 4, their adolescents achieved a significantly greater loss at month 12 (-9.1 ± 1.3%) compared with adolescents whose caregivers lost less than the median (-4.3 ± 1.3%) (p = .003). CONCLUSION Engaging caregivers in their own weight loss efforts during adolescent weight loss treatment may improve adolescent weight loss.