The effect of a physical activity consultation on body mass index z-score of overweight adolescents: results from a pediatric outpatient obesity clinic.

Although the success of adolescent obesity management cannot be based only on BMI, a PA consultation on the top of the traditional pediatric and nutrition interventions may further improve the BMI z-score outcome at 6 months. What is Known: • Physical activity (PA) plays an important role in weight management. However, most adolescents, in particular those who are overweight, present low levels of PA. • There is no consensus whether PA counseling influences PA behavior. What is New: • A PA consultation (a structured form of PA counseling) as part of a multidisciplinary team may further be useful for weight management of overweight adolescents followed at the clinical setting, compared to the traditional approach including only the pediatric and nutrition consultations. • Waist-to-height ratio may be more suitable than waist circumference per se to track changes in abdominal adiposity among adolescents who are still growing.