Evaluation of dyadic changes of parent‐child weight loss patterns during a family‐based behavioral treatment for obesity

Summary Background Family‐based treatment (FBT) for children with overweight and obesity is a package that includes nutrition and physical activity education, as well as parenting and behavior therapy skills. To date, the majority of research suggests that one of the best predictors of child weight loss is parent weight loss. However, the bidirectional processes facilitating parent‐child weight loss are not well understood. Objective To evaluate the strength and direction of parent‐child weight‐change patterns during a 6‐month intervention with FBT for childhood obesity. Methods Parent‐child weight change dynamics were evaluated using a bivariate multilevel approach. Results Significant positive weight reductions throughout treatment were observed among both parents and children (P's