"Obese Children and Adolescents, Get Free Help"…Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital Recruiting Participants for 'I-Can' Program

Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital announced on the 23rd that it is recruiting participants for the obesity management program "ICAAN" targeting children and adolescents with severe obesity or higher.

ICAAN is a weight management program for children and adolescents with severe obesity, which is increasing in South Korea. It helps with weight control through current condition assessment, expert consultation and education, and behavior modification. The program is led by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency and Professor Kyung-hee Park from the Department of Family Medicine at Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital is the principal investigator.

The program targets children and adolescents aged 10 to 14 with severe obesity or higher, recruiting 150 participants on a first-come, first-served basis. Selected participants will undergo an initial examination and then participate for a total of 18 months, including 12 months of active intervention and 6 months of maintenance (self-care). Participants set goals with medical staff and experts and follow the weight control guidelines throughout the program.

The program includes ▲body measurements ▲blood tests ▲one-on-one specialist consultations ▲nutrition assessment and counseling ▲regular educational materials provision ▲lifestyle habit monitoring. Participants randomly assigned to the intervention group will additionally receive ▲remote video exercise education ▲one-on-one video motivational counseling. All participants will be provided with a smart band and rewards based on participation rates. Recruitment is open until the 31st of next month, and all processes are free of charge.

Since its launch in 2016, the ICAAN project has had a total of 540 participants through three program cycles. Most of the participating children showed improvements in obesity symptoms, including reductions in body mass index, increases in muscle mass, and decreases in body fat percentage.

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