Aims: To assess the one-year efficacy, in children with obesity, of group treatments by either a paediatric weight watcher’s model (WW) or by a physical training program (PT).

Methods: A total of 162 children were invited to the treatments. Fifty-five accepted and allocation was made of 34 (20 girls), mean age 13.6, SD 1.86 years, to the WW and of 21 (11 girls), mean age 12.7 SD 1.45, to the PT programs, age and gender NS different. All group meetings were in parallel, from September 2002 to January 2003, with weekly one-hour sessions.

Parents participated in the WW groups. Body mass index was monitored before, after and one year from the start and expressed in standard deviation score (BMISDS).

Results: The BMISDS was 3.14 and 3.13 in the WW and PT groups at the start (NS). Immediately after the treatment, it was 2.94 (n=34) and 3.17 (n=19), respectively, p<0.05 for difference between groups. Five children in the WW and 0 in the PT were now no longer obese. One year from the start, the BMISDS was 3.01 (n=26) and 2.97 (n=10) in the WW and PT children who had had no further interventions, those with 2 and 1 were now not obese, NS. Non-compliant children were those with 1 and 7, p<0.01.

Conclusions: The WW treatment resulted in a significant reduction of BMISDS directly after the treatment. After 1 year from start, a non-significant effect was present in both groups. Compliance was significantly better in the WW group. A randomised controlled trial is of interest for further evaluation.