Childhood obesity is rapidly reaching epidemic proportions in the United Kingdom. Recent studies have indicated a prevalence level for obesity of 15% at 15 years of age. The implications for metabolic, cardiovascular and cancer risk in later life are enormous. The International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) and the European Association for the Study of Obesity (EASO) have identified childhood obesity as a matter for urgent attention. However, there are very few obesity clinics for children in the UK and effective treatment regimens are simply not available. We have developed an obesity clinic at the Royal Hospital for Children in Bristol and observed effective weight reduction in pre-pubertal children. Our simple treatment framework has proved far less effective in adolescence. We have therefore collaborated with an eating disorder clinic from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden to develop a novel therapy to treat obesity using modified equipment originally designed to treat adolescents with DSM-IV eating disorders. Pilot data indicate that adolescents are better able to address the issue of weight reduction within this treatment modality. Having established the software and treatment process we now wish to perform a randomised, control trial to test the efficacy of this new treatment against that currently provided.
