Correspondence (letter to the editor): Increased Quality of Life

I like to make a small critical point to the excellent systematic review by Dipl.-Psych. Mühlig et al. (1). I cannot agree with the authors’ statement that the evidence currently available only supports short-term improvements in quality of life under conservative weight-loss treatments. As early as 2001, a research team led by Petra Warschburger conducted a randomized controlled long-term study including 197 children and adolescents that showed an increase in health-related quality of life even 12 months after an 8-week period of multimodal cognitive-behavioral treatment for obesity (2). Furthermore, the recent analysis of the German LOGIC study (Long-term effects of lifestyle Intervention and Genetic Influence in Children) demonstrated that the quality of life of overweight/obese children and adolescents remained significantly improved 2 years after the end of the treatment. “Self-esteem“ was the dimension where patients benefited the most from the program (3). I think we should make more use of volitional and awareness-based weight management strategies for obese or overweight patients, including children.