Knowledge
Treatment of childhood obesity
Obesity in children is a chronic disease that can be treated. The foundation is long-term, family-based lifestyle treatment. Treatment is adapted to the child's age, degree of obesity, overall health, and how the treatment develops, and can, if necessary, be supplemented with digital support, medication, or surgery.
The foundation is combined lifestyle treatment
The national care programme describes combined lifestyle treatment, KLB, as the foundation of all treatment for children with obesity.
The treatment aims for healthier weight development through support for behavioural changes, primarily concerning eating habits and physical activity.
But treatment is not about a standardised diet plan. The child's and family's situation, sleep, mental health, physical activity, eating habits, comorbidities, and other factors need to be considered together.
Treatment intensity is adapted according to:
- age
- degree of obesity
- individual needs
- treatment type
- comorbidity
- how the child responds to treatment
The family is a central part of the treatment
For younger children, a large part of the treatment is naturally directed towards the guardians.
It is the family's daily life that determines when meals take place, what food is at home, how movement and sleep function, and what changes can actually be sustained.
This is why modern childhood obesity treatment is based on supporting the whole family rather than placing the responsibility on the child.
Treatment needs to continue between visits
A large part of the treatment takes place during the days and weeks when the family is not at the clinic. The national care programme describes that intensive lifestyle interventions can combine regular physical visits with, among other things, group treatment and digital treatment support.
Physical visit
Assessment, height measurement, medical decisions and treatment plan.
Between visits
The family works on agreed changes in daily life.
Digital follow-up
Development can be followed, and care providers can communicate with the family without every contact needing to be a new physical visit.
Digital treatment support
The national care programme describes Evira as an example of digital support in childhood obesity treatment.
With Evira, the following are combined:
- a numberless connected smart scale at home
- an app for the child and family
- a clinic interface for the treatment team
- individual treatment goals
- communication between family and care
- recurring measurements between visits
Measurements are automatically transferred to the platform, enabling both the family and the treatment team to monitor progress over time.
What research shows about Evira
In the national care programme's compilation of treatment interventions, Evira is reported alongside combined lifestyle treatment with an average change in BMI-SDS of −0.30 after one year of treatment.
The data comes from a pragmatic study with 107 children and adolescents who used Evira, compared to 321 matched patients who received standard treatment.
In the subsequent three-year study, the adjusted change in BMI Z-score was −0.29 with Evira compared to −0.12 with standard treatment after three years.
When might medication be appropriate?
In cases of more severe obesity, comorbidities, or insufficient effect of previous treatment, further specialist-level treatment may become appropriate.
Medication does not replace basic treatment. The national care programme states that combined lifestyle treatment should continue in parallel when obesity medication is used.
Which medication can be used, at what age, and under what conditions is a medical assessment and changes in line with approvals and current recommendations.
When might surgery be appropriate?
Obesity surgery is a specialised treatment for a small group of adolescents with severe obesity.
The decision requires extensive medical and psychosocial assessment, and the treatment is carried out at specialised units with structured follow-up after the operation.
Surgery is therefore not an alternative to other obesity care but a part of specialist treatment for carefully selected patients.
Treatment is long-term
Childhood obesity is not treated through a single intervention. The child's needs may change over time, and different interventions may need to be combined or strengthened. It is therefore more accurate to view the treatment as a foundation that is built upon:
- 1Combined lifestyle intervention
- 2Family support and continuous follow-up
- 3Digital treatment support where appropriate
- 4Specialised additions such as medication, if needed
- 5For certain adolescents, surgery
KLB remains the foundation even when other treatments are added.
Evira as part of routine care
Evira does not replace the treatment team.
The digital support is designed to complement standard treatment by enabling development to be followed even between clinic visits.
The healthcare provider retains medical responsibility and decides:
- which patients are offered Evira
- treatment goals
- how often the patient needs physical follow-up
- when treatment needs to be changed or intensified
Do you want to complement your childhood obesity treatment with digital follow-up?
We will review your existing care pathway and how Evira can fit in without replacing the treatment you already provide.