Study designs of evaluations included in the review
Inclusion criteria were not specified in terms of the study design. The included studies followed up participants for between 6 months and 10 years.
Specific interventions included in the review
Studies of professionally administered weight loss programmes were eligible for inclusion. Four of the included studies used behavioural family-based or cognitive-behavioural interventions; one study used an in-patient multi-component intervention that involved cognitive-behavioural therapy.
Participants included in the review
Studies of children and adolescents were included. In the included studies, the participants' mean or median age at baseline ranged from 10 to 13 years and the mean baseline body mass index ranged from 25.5 to 33.9 (4 studies).
Outcomes assessed in the review
Studies that assessed eating behaviour and psychological status were eligible for inclusion. The included studies assessed eating behaviour using different measures: the Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI), Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire (DEBQ), Children's Eating Attitudes Test (ChEAT), Kids' Eating Disorder Survey (KEDS), and self-reports of bulimia and anorexia nervosa. The included studies assessed psychological status using the Self-Perception Profile and the Child Behaviour Checklist.
How were decisions on the relevance of primary studies made?
The authors did not state how the papers were selected for the review, or how many reviewers performed the selection.