6th January 2010
A new computerised device that tracks portion size and how fast
people eat is more successful in helping obese children and
adolescents lose weight than standard treatments, according to
research published on bmj.com today.
The Mandometer device, a portable computerised weighing scale,
was developed at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm and helps to
retrain individuals to eat less and more slowly by providing
real-time feedback during meal times.
Childhood obesity is an increasing global problem and there is
little evidence to support one specific treatment programme. While
it is unknown whether specific eating patterns are common in all
obese people, in this study the patients ate large portions very
quickly.
Researchers at Bristol Royal Hospital for Children and the
University of Bristol, led by Professor Julian Hamilton-Shield,
carried out a randomised study of 106 obese patients aged between
9-17 years.
One group of participants received Mandometer therapy to lose
weight and the other were provided with standard care. Both groups
were encouraged to increase their levels of physical activity to 60
minutes of exercise a day and to eat a balanced diet based on the
Food Standards Agency eatwell plate.
Participants were assessed after 12 months and followed up at 18
months. During the research period they were also regularly
monitored and offered telephone support and encouragement.
After 12 months, the Mandometer group not only had a
significantly lower average body mass index and body fat score than
the standard care group, but their portion size was smaller and
their speed of eating was reduced by 11% compared with a gain
of 4% in the other group. Levels of good cholesterol were also
significantly higher in the Mandometer group.
The improvement in body mass index was maintained six months
after the end of treatment, suggesting an element of longer term
behavioural change, add the authors.
Mandometer therapy, focussing on eating speed and meal size,
seems to be a useful addition to the rather sparse options
available for treating adolescent obesity effectively without
recourse to pharmacotherapy, say the authors.
They acknowledge that the Mandometer requires further evaluation
in other settings and with different groups of patients, but
conclude that Retraining eating behaviour and reinforcing feelings
of satiety, however, does seem to improve weight loss in obese
adolescents.
