Disordered Eating Risk in Pediatric Obesity Treatment Using a Digi-Physical Tool

Children with chronic illnesses involving dietary restrictions as part of their treatment - such as obesity, diabetes mellitus, and celiac disease- are at an increased risk of developing eating disorders (ED) or disordered eating behaviors (DEB). Children with obesity are more likely to engage in unhealthy weight-control behaviors. Evidence-based, structured treatment programs for obesity do not elevate the risk of ED. On the contrary, such programs often intend to improve overall well-being. Professionally guided obesity treatment for children enhance self-esteem and has been shown to reduce both binge eating and loss of control over eating. In this study, all participating children undergoing treatment for obesity will use a digi-physical treatment tool as a complement to behavioral treatment. This treatment tool includes daily measurements on a scale that does not show any digits, linked to a mobile app where weight development is shown as a moving average in the form of BMI standard deviation score (SDS). The app also provides an individualized target curve, visualizing the expected weight trajectory. Since weight changes in growing children are complex to interpret, BMI SDS is used as a standard metric. Objective data from the measuring device are automatically transferred to the database. Furthermore, direct communication between the clinic and the family is possible via the clinic interface and the app. This study builds upon the investigators' previous one-year and three-year studies (ClinicalTrials.gov IDs: NCT04323215 and NCT06434259. The current follow-up study aims to evaluate the risk of developing DEB or an ED over a three-year period following the start of obesity treatment. Approximately 400 children who have been treated with the digi-physical treatment tool will be included in the evaluation. Diagnoses and symptoms of DEB and ED will be retrieved from patient records.