Motivational interviews related to BMI control

According to a new research published in Pediatrics, for children aged between 4 to 7 years, an efficient control of body mass index (BMI) are considered to be motivational interviews. Anna Maria Davoli, M.D. from the Local Health Authority in Reggio Emilia, Italy, together with her colleagues analyzed the effects of motivational interview on BMI control. There were children analyzed between the above indicated ages. 95% of the families received proper motivation interview training. The parents of the overweight children who were involved in the study were randomly categorized in two groups: there were 187 children involved for motivational interview and another 185 children for usual care. In both categories, lifestyle behaviors and BMI were examined. The final results prove that the group of children who performed motivational interviews presented the positive effects, unlike the group for usual care. “A family pediatrician-led MI was effective in BMI control for overweight children aged 4 to 7 years”, the authors write. “However, further efforts are needed to understand why it is not effective for male subjects and for children whose mothers have less education”.