Self-help programmes for overweight and obese children could be just as effective for weight loss as clinic-based programmes, according to research published in the Pediatrics journal.

The study enrolled 50 children aged between eight and 12 in a low intensity five-month programme, measuring their body mass index (BMI) immediately after treatment.

The results revealed a significant drop in BMI, which was maintained when results were measured again six months later.

The findings are significant because many clinic-based weight-control programmes are not accessible to families due to cost and time commitment.

Study leader Kerri Boutelle – an associate professor of pediatrics and psychiatry at University of California – said: “Parents and their children are given a manual, and each week they read a chapter and try to apply the skills at home.

“Every other week they come in to our clinic at UC San Diego School of Medicine for 20 minutes and discuss how things were going with an interventionist.

“This is very different than traditional weight control programmes where parents and kids come in every week for an hour-and-a-half-long group-based programme.”