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To the Editor: Ms Savoye and colleagues¹ described a randomized controlled trial studying the effects of a weight management program on body composition and metabolic parameters in overweight children. The results were reported as changes in the means and standard deviations for the intervention and control groups. Although the results suggest a benefit of the intervention, it is difficult to derive useful information such as a number needed to treat (NNT) from these results.

The evidence-based medicine literature² suggests that the results of randomized controlled trials should be interpreted, at least in part, based on NNT. It would therefore be helpful if the authors would present the number or proportion of children in each study group whose outcome variables (such as body mass index [BMI] and lipid levels) improved by some clinically significant amount. In this situation, reporting how many patients in the control and intervention group improved (or worsened) can be more informative than reporting group data. For example, knowing the difference in the percentage of children who decreased their BMI below the 95th percentile in the 2 groups (ie, the absolute risk reduction) would allow determining how many overweight or obese children would have to be treated in such a program for 1 to benefit.

Financial Disclosures: None reported.

Paul C. Young, MD
paul.young{at}hsc.utah.edu
University of Utah School of Medicine
Salt Lake City

1. Savoye M, Shaw M, Dziuar J, et al. Effects of a weight management program on body composition and metabolic parameters in overweight children: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA. 2007;297(24):2697-2704. FREE FULL TEXT 2. Guyatt GH, Sackett DL, Cook DG. Users' Guides to the Medical Literature, II: how to use an article about therapy or prevention, B: what were the results and will they help me in caring for my patients? JAMA. 1994;271(1):59-63. FREE FULL TEXT

Letters Section Editor: Robert M. Golub, MD, Senior Editor.

JAMA. 2007;298:1860.

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Effects of a Weight Management Program on Body Composition and Metabolic Parameters in Overweight Children: A Randomized Controlled Trial
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