Team PLAY (Positive Lifestyles for Active Youngsters) (Team PLAY)

This randomized controlled trial is designed to determine whether an intense 6 month family-centered intervention to increase physical activity and health eating patterns, primarily directed at parents, followed by a 6 month maintenance period, will be significantly more successful in controlling weight in overweight/obese children, ages 4-7 years, than usual standard care, at 2 years after enrollment. The intervention group (180 children with a BMI > 85% percentile) will receive standard of care, as well as, additional parental counseling. Parents will receive intense counseling regarding developmentally appropriate physical activity, strategies for reducing sedentary behaviors, nutritional counseling, and behavioral counseling including a self-management program to use with their children at home. The group will meet once a week for the initial 8 weeks, biweekly for 8 weeks, and monthly for 2 months. Following this period (the next 6 months), a case manager will call the family on a monthly basis and the family will be sent educational and support information by mail. The control group (60 children with a BMI > 85% percentile) will receive standard care provided by their primary care provider and be offered a six week optional parenting class. All children will have a medical history, physical examination, and anthropometric measures, nutritional assessment, measurement of physical activity, and behavioral/psycho-social measures provided by study personnel. Outcome measurements will be done at baseline, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months.