CALGARY — Researchers at Alberta Children’s Hospital need a few overweight youngsters to see if their eyes are in fact bigger than their appetites.

Children and teenagers between the ages of eight and 16 with a body mass index (BMI) greater than the 85th percentile are needed for a study at Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute for Child and Maternal Health, looking at whether specially designed plates showing proper portion sizes will help them lose weight.

BMI is a commonly used formula that relates weight to height and determines whether people are underweight, overweight or obese.

If selected, participants and their parents will be randomly assigned to one of two groups, one receiving nutritional counselling plus the use of the specially designed plates and bowls and another receiving only nutritional counselling.

Three visits to Alberta Children’s Hospital are needed to take part and a study nurse will conduct follow-ups by phone.

Along with monitoring each child’s BMI, the study will also look at waist size and blood pressure and tests will be done to measure blood sugars, insulin, cholesterol levels and liver function.

Childhood obesity is linked to health problems later in life, including Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

Anyone interested in taking part can contact registered nurse Claire Gougeon at 403-955-8866 or claire.gougeon@albertahealthservices.ca

dave.dormer@sunmedia.ca
Twitter: @SUNDaveDormer