Clinically Significant Weight Loss in the Upscaled PEACH™ QLD Community Program for Children above a Healthy Weight Range

PEACH™—Parenting, Eating, and Activity for Child Hea—is a 6-month, parent-led weight management program for families with children above a healthy weight. The Program has previously demonstrated efficacy in RCTs and was recently upscaled in Queensland, Australia (2013–2016). This study aims to explore if clinically significant weight loss can be achieved in the upscaled PEACH™ QLD community-based child obesity program. PEACH™ QLD enrolled n = 926 children (n = 817 families) above a healthy weight range. Children were measured by trained facilitators at the beginning and end of the 6-month program. Clinically significant weight loss was defined as a reduction of ≥0.25 BMIz units (US-CDC2000). Data are presented as mean [95% CI: LL, UL]. Pre-post anthropometric data were available for n = 326 children (60% female, mean age 8.7 y). At baseline, children were 22% overweight, 33% obese, and 45% morbidly obese (IOTF extended cut-points). At follow-up, children were 2% normal weight, 27% overweight, 34% obese, and 37% morbidly obese (P difference baseline to follow-up <0.001). Clinically significant weight loss was observed for 16% (n = 53) of children: mean decrease −0.41 [−0.52, −0.35]. There were non-clinically significant BMIz score decreases for a further 61% (n = 200), mean decrease −0.10 [−0.11, −0.09], and for the remaining 22% (n = 73), a mean increase of 0.08 [0.06, 0.11]. Clinically significant weight loss was observed in the upscaled PEACH™ QLD community health program. Further analyses are needed to determine demographics and lifestyle behaviour changes associated with clinically significant weight loss.