Decrease of anxiety and body mass index in overweight and obese children after a multidisciplinary treatment

In order to assess the effectiveness of a six-month multidisciplinary program, in decreasing body mass index (BMI) and anxiety in a group of children, we compared their results before and after treatment with a control group. The intervention was applied in two occasions (2007 and 2008), with adjustments during the second year, involving 21 children in 2007, 14 in 2008 and 33 children in the control group. The Children’s Manifest Anxiety Scale (CMAS-R; Reynolds & Richmond, 1997) was applied and BMI was calculated with a precision scale. No significant changes were observed in the 2007 group, whilst in the 2008 group, both anxiety and BMI decreased significantly; these variables increased in the control group. It may be important to include the child’s family and school environment if the aim is to strengthen adherence to healthy eating habits.