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Family-based Lifestyle Intervention Program and Carotenoid Supplementation for Children With Obesity

Nemours Children's Health logo

Nemours Children's Health

Status

Completed

Conditions

Pediatric Obesity

Treatments

Other: Lifestyle intervention and placebo
Other: Lifestyle intervention and carotenoid supplements

Study type

Interventional

Funder types

Other

Identifiers

Details and patient eligibility

About

This is a pilot study of children between the ages of 8 to 11 years of age who are obese and participating in an intense family based intervention with a family-focused multi-component lifestyle intervention. In addition, a beta-carotene supplement will be administered to randomized participants.

Full description

The spread of childhood obesity across all ethnic and socioeconomic classes in North America is alarming. The close link between morbid obesity and type II diabetes (T2DM) and in childhood is undisputed fact and recent statistics reported by the American Diabetes Association suggest that newly diagnosed cases are on the rise. The link between decreased exercise, increased calorie and fat intake, decrease intake of fruits and vegetables and increased frequency of T2DM are well established. Complications of child obesity include risks for heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, and even some cancers. The lack of fruit and vegetable consumption may be responsible for specific nutrient deficiencies such as low β-carotene, which has recently been identified as an important regulator of body fat. Nemours and Wolfson Children's Hospital have taken the initiative to explore factors that contribute to childhood obesity including well controlled studies examining the effects of intensive nutritional and behavioral education, healthy eating and increased exercise as ways to help prevent the rise in childhood obesity. This study aims to institute an intensive 2 week in-patient intervention which will serve as a model for behavioral changes required in children and families to successfully address the rapid progression of obesity. We will administer a supplement of β-carotene and follow the changes in abdominal fat accumulation over six months. At the third week of intervention we will obtain a blood sample that will determine if any beneficial changes have already taken place in white blood cells that clear cholesterol from the arteries using genetic testing. At the end of the study we will compare the amount of abdominal fat that accumulates or decreases in each subject. An intensive educational program that leads to healthy eating and the habitual exercise for the whole family will help promote significant benefits in the rate of weight gain and delay the progression to diabetes.

Enrollment

20 patients

Sex

All

Ages

8 to 11 years old

Volunteers

No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

  • Age 8 years to 11 years at enrollment
  • BMI percentile ≥ 95th percentile

Exclusion criteria

  • Any major chronic diseases, cognitive impairments, or any organic cause of obesity
  • any orthopedic or neuromuscular condition that prevents/impedes age-appropriate physical activity
  • confirmed diagnosis of Prader-Willi syndrome
  • any metal implants that would preclude subject from safely having the MRI procedure

Trial design

Primary purpose

Treatment

Allocation

Randomized

Interventional model

Factorial Assignment

Masking

None (Open label)

20 participants in 2 patient groups

Lifestyle intervention and carotenoid supplement
Experimental group
Treatment:
Other: Lifestyle intervention and carotenoid supplements
Other: Lifestyle intervention and placebo
Lifestyle intervention and placebo
Experimental group
Treatment:
Other: Lifestyle intervention and carotenoid supplements
Other: Lifestyle intervention and placebo

Trial contacts and locations

1

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Data sourced from clinicaltrials.gov

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