Parent-only intervention comparable to family-based intervention for childhood obesity

Parent-based treatment was more cost-effective compared with family-based treatment.

“In parent-based treatment, a caring adult provides the information to the child as opposed to interventionists who don’t necessarily know them,” Boutelle said. “The caring adult can, in fact, adapt it more to the intricacies of the child than maybe a health care professional. We also believe that there’s something to be said about having to have 100% responsibility for providing program to your child. We think that parents become more effective that way.”