Brain Activation and Satiety in Children: Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Obese children accompanied by at least one parent or caregiver will attend 24 weekly in-person sessions. Sessions will include 25-30 min. meetings between an interventionist and each child/parent pair to individualize treatment, followed by separate child and parent group meetings lasting 40 - 45 min. Parents will serve as primary agents of change for their child and for themselves. Training will focus on food and physical activity education, parenting around food and physical activity, and use of behavioral skills (e.g., self-monitoring, environmental control, contingency management). Intervention groups of 9-11 children/families will be initiated every 3-6 mos. in study yrs. 1-3.