Mediterranean lifestyle intervention reduces BMI, fat mass in preschool girls at risk of obesity

This parallel randomized controlled trial evaluated the effect of a Mediterranean lifestyle intervention on body composition and cardiovascular risk factors in preschool children at risk of obesity due to family history. The study enrolled 206 children aged 3.0–6.9 years with normal weight or overweight and at least one parent with overweight or obesity from three Spanish cities. Participants were randomly assigned to either a Mediterranean lifestyle intervention group or a control group. The intervention included provision of fish and olive oil, monthly nutrition education, and twice-weekly physical activity sessions, while the control group received general child health advice unrelated to diet or exercise. After 12 months, 170 children completed the study, representing a 17.5% dropout rate. Primary outcomes included BMI, fat mass index (FMI), and their respective z-scores. Secondary outcomes included waist-to-height ratio, blood pressure, lipid profile, glucose, and insulin. Baseline characteristics showed no significant differences between groups. Per-protocol analysis revealed significant differences in BMI and FMI (kg/m² and z-score) between the intervention and control groups among girls, but not among boys. Intention-to-treat analysis confirmed these findings in girls, showing significant changes in BMI (-0.68 kg/m²) and BMI z-score (-0.34) compared with the control group. In both per-protocol and intention-to-treat analyses, no significant between-group differences were observed in changes in cardiovascular risk factors. The study concludes that a Mediterranean lifestyle intervention may benefit body composition changes in preschool girls at risk of obesity and that larger studies are needed to confirm these sex-specific results.

If your young child has a family history of obesity, you might wonder what you can do to help them build healthy habits. A new study tested whether a Mediterranean lifestyle—focusing on diet and physical activity—could make a difference for preschoolers at risk. The trial followed 206 children in Spain, aged 3 to 6, who had at least one parent with overweight or obesity. One group received fish, olive oil, nutrition education, and twice-weekly physical activity sessions for a year. The other group got general health advice not related to diet or exercise. The results showed a clear difference between boys and girls. For the girls who followed the Mediterranean lifestyle, their body mass index (BMI) and a measure of body fat improved compared to girls in the control group. These positive changes were not seen in the boys. The study did not find significant differences in other heart health markers, like blood pressure or cholesterol, for either group. The findings suggest that this type of healthy lifestyle intervention might be particularly beneficial for young girls at risk of obesity, but more research is needed to understand why the effects differed by sex.