Effects of the HEARTY exercise randomized controlled trial on eating behaviors in adolescents with obesity.

Background: There are well-recognized benefits of behavioral interventions that include exercise for children and adolescents with obesity. However, such behavioral weight management programs may precipitate unintended consequences. It is unclear if different exercise modalities impact eating behaviors differently in youth with obesity.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of aerobic, resistance, and combined aerobic and resistance exercise training on eating attitudes and behaviors (uncontrolled eating, restrained eating, emotional eating, external eating and food craving) among adolescents with overweight and obesity.

Methods: N = 304 (70% female) adolescents with overweight and obesity participated in the 6-month Healthy Eating Aerobic and Resistance Training in Youth (HEARTY) randomized controlled trial. All participants were inactive post-pubertal adolescents (15.6 ± 1.4 years) with a mean BMI = 34.6 ± 4.5 kg/m². The Food Craving Inventory (food cravings), Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire (restrained eating, emotional eating, external eating), and the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire (uncontrolled eating) were used to assess eating attitudes and behaviors.

Results: All exercise groups showed within-group decreases in external eating and food cravings. Participants randomized to the Combined training group and were more adherent showed the greatest improvements in eating behaviors and cravings.

Conclusions: A 6-month exercise intervention produced improvements in disordered eating behaviors and food cravings, but effects may be gender and modality-specific. Findings highlight the need to tailor exercise intervention to participant characteristics for the promotion of healthier eating and weight management outcomes in youth with obesity.

Clinical Trial Registration # and Date: ClinicalTrials.Gov NCT00195858, September 12, 2005.