# Lessons Learned from Telemedicine in Adolescent Obesity: Results of a Pilot Study

## TL;DR

A pilot study shows that combining in-person and telemedicine care helps reduce BMI in adolescents and their parents, but has no effect on other health metrics.

## Contribution

The study introduces a hybrid telemedicine and in-person model for adolescent obesity care and evaluates its impact on BMI and related metrics.

## Key findings

- The program reduced BMI and BMI z-scores in 21 adolescents and BMI in 18 parents.
- No significant changes were observed in body composition, waist circumference, or cardiometabolic parameters.
- The hybrid model shows potential for broader use in precision medicine for obesity treatment.

## Abstract

The rising prevalence of obesity in children calls for new strategies for the provision of effective care by a multidisciplinary team. Telemedicine has overall proven to be an effective tool for promoting a healthy lifestyle. The main objective of the current paper is to present the protocol of our ongoing CardioMetabolic Prevention (CAMP) study and compare its design with published studies on telemedicine in paediatric obesity. Additionally, we analysed the preliminary anthropometric and laboratory data to test the efficacy of our 12-week intensive program that combines in-person and telemedicine support. The program demonstrated a positive impact on body mass index (BMI) and its z-scores in 21 adolescents, and BMI in 18 participating parents. However, we found no effect on body composition, waist circumference, cardiometabolic parameters, or fitness evaluated via a 6-min walk test in adolescents. In conclusion, the combination of in-person and telemedicine intensive support over 35 h delivered by a multidisciplinary team can be beneficial not only for adolescents with obesity but also for their parents. The ongoing CAMP study serves as a platform for precision medicine in future decisions regarding anti-obesity medication in adolescents with obesity.