A childhood obesity programme run at Temple Street Children's Hospital has reported significant reductions in body mass index (BMI) in children referred to it.

The W82GO! programme has had 312 children aged 18 months to 16 years referred to it over the past five years.

On completion of the W82GO! programme, the mean reduction in BMI SDS was 0.16 after 12 months of treatment when international studies have shown a mean reduction in BMI of 0.14. BMI SDS is a measure of obesity that takes child growth into account.

According to the programme organisers, this illustrates the effectiveness of W82GO! and the potential for these children to sustain their weight loss. People exceeding 2.0 BMI are classified as clinically obese.

All of the children referred to the programme had a body mass index (BMI) greater than 98% percentile on the Irish growth chart.

The programme team also reported that when these children were referred, 40% of were at risk developing heart disease in future (e.g. they had high cholesterol), 30% had physical issues related to excessive weight including knee pain and breathlessness when walking.

In addition, 60% reported psychological difficulties (including poor self-esteem and depression) and 11% reported severe bullying.

Approximately 1 in 4 (30,000) primary school children in Ireland today are either overweight or obese.

According the organisers of W82GO!, the causes of childhood obesity are complex but are likely to be a combination of an increasingly sedentary lifestyle with excessive calorie intake for need.

The negative impact of obesity in childhood includes respiratory, cardiovascular, musculoskeletal and metabolic effects, poor self-image and poor quality of life. In addition, children who are obese are more likely to have disease like heart disease and type 2 diabetes in adulthood.

According to Dr Sinead Murphy, clinical lead of the obesity programme, all children who attend an outpatient clinic in Temple Street for any reason have their growth measured routinely, which allows their BMI to be calculated and plotted on a child's BMI centile chart.

"If the BMI is greater than the 91st percentile, the child is deemed overweight or if they are greater than the 98th percentile, the child is deemed obese and referred to the W82GO! service for review. We also consider referrals through GPs and other healthcare professionals in the community and the hospital."

The programme consists of a is a 12-month family-based obesity treatment programme for children and teenagers which provides families with health, nutrition, self-esteem, family communication and activity guidance along with support in a safe environment so that families can achieve the healthiest lifestyle for them.

Before starting the programme, the child is reviewed by a paediatrician, paediatric dietician, paediatric physiotherapist and paediatric psychologist.

The child completes an exercise test to measure fitness and has blood tests which assess their health and identifies how at risk they are for obesity-related conditions. Following the initial appointment, families are then invited onto the programme.

According to Grace O'Malley, senior pediatric physiotherapist at Temple Street, the W82GO programme helps families who may feel that they have nowhere to go. Parents often report that they just can't find the help they need.

"We introduce the child and parent to the concept of having a healthy lifestyle and how to make small goals towards becoming healthier. The programme includes fun sessions to improve the child's movement skills and boost his/her confidence in performing physical activity. In addition the weekly interactive educational sessions help the family to learn about nutrition and shopping skills."

The programme encourages parents to make positive changes in the family's lifestyle and provide a balance between nurturing and limit-setting.

The organisers say that in trying to improve access to the programme, they are testing alternative methods of delivering our treatment.