Green light for obesity cure

A treatment to cure childhood obesity has achieved remarkable results in England's leading children's hospital.

The programme, tested at Great Ormond St Hospital in London over the past year, is being acclaimed as a "breakthrough" in tackling obesity.

Senior consultants claim it has resulted in dramatic weight reductions. On average, children were 10 per cent less overweight at the end of the 10-week pilot study.

The hospital treated 34 children in just over 12 months.

The family-based behaviour therapy programme is based on a "traffic light" approach to food: red for chocolate, potato chips and takeaways; orange for protein, carbohydrates and dairy products; green for fruit and vegetables.

Children and their families attended weekly therapy sessions, where they were given instruction on diet and exercise. All members of the family were encouraged to eat more healthily, be more active and support the child. They were encouraged to walk or run daily and given pedometers to measure how far.

Calorie intake was monitored through food diaries and measured against the amount of exercise taken.

The pilot has been so successful that its organisers are now calling for funding to enable the "Traffic Light Programme" to be rolled out nationwide.



In New Zealand, the 2002 National Children's Nutrition Survey found that one-third of children are overweight or obese. Of those, one in 10 fall in the obese category.

In Britain it is estimated that there are more than half a million obese children. A further two million are classed as "overweight". The figures have increased threefold over the past 20 years and have been linked to the growth of coronary heart disease, cancer, strokes, diabetes and osteoarthritis in later life.

Consultant paediatrician Dr Russell Viner said: "A 10 per cent decrease in overweight is a huge achievement.

"Obesity is very hard to shift and this treatment is the best it gets at the moment. Obesity is the biggest public health problem affecting children and teenagers. We spend a huge amount of money on the consequences, but little on treatment or prevention."

The tests were carried out in conjunction with the charity Weight Concern UK. Professor Jane Wardle, the charity's honorary clinical director and director of the health behaviour unit at University College London, said: "The first results are very promising and offer real hope for parents with overweight children. This is a big step forward. Now what we need is funding for further trials."

Azmini Govindji of the British Dietetic Association said: "What is particularly encouraging is that this is an initiative involving the whole family. Research shows that group therapy of this type can be very useful."

Faye Marshall-Butler, one of the 34 children who took part in the pilot scheme, managed to keep her weight down to 76.2kg, reducing her body mass index "significantly".

Faye, now aged 12, has lost 3.6kg - and for the first time in her life she has stopped putting on weight while getting taller.

Her mother, Christine Butler, said the change since the start of the programme in March, in terms of both her daughter's weight and attitude, had been remarkable.

"I was really, really concerned with Faye's weight before, because it just kept leaping up," said Ms Butler.

"Her appetite was enormous and I was getting so desperate that I even considered taking her to America for treatment. We found Weight Concern on the internet and they introduced us to the Traffic Light Programme.

"As a result, Faye stopped putting on weight. Her confidence and self-esteem have improved no end.

"You have to do the programme as a family, and that helps you sort out where you are at fault, in terms of things like buying patterns.

"Now Faye doesn't watch so much TV, but we do things together instead, like go for walks. It is better for all of us. "

Faye's father, Paul Marshall, said: "Before, in terms of weight gain, we couldn't see a way of stemming the tide, but now we can."

Traffic Light diet

* Red for chocolate, potato chips and takeaways.

* Orange for protein, carbohydrates and dairy products.

* Green for fruit and vegetables

- INDEPENDENT