Increasing fruit and vegetable intake and decreasing fat and sugar intake in families at risk for childhood obesity

Objective: The goal of this study was to evaluate the effect of a parent-fo cused behavioral intervention on parent and child eating changes and on per centage of overweight changes in families that contain at least one obese p arent and a non-obese child. Research Methods and Procedures: Families with obese parents and non-obese children were randomized to groups in which parents were provided a compreh ensive behavioral weight-control program and were encouraged to increase fr uit and vegetable intake or decrease intake of high-fat/high-sugar foods. C hild materials targeted the same dietary changes as their parents without c aloric restriction. Results: Changes over 1 year showed that treatment influenced targeted pare nt and child fruit and vegetable intake and high-fat/high-sugar intake, wit h the Increase Fruit and Vegetable group also decreasing their consumption of high-fat/high-sugar foods. Parents in the increased fruit and vegetable group showed significantly greater decreases in percentage of overweight th an parents in the decreased high-fat/high-sugar group. Discussion: These results suggest that focusing on increasing intake of hea lthy foods may be a useful approach for nutritional change in obese parents and their children.