Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Overweight and obesity. https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/index.html

Phoenix S. Weight loss statistics 2023. Great Green Wall. 2023. https://www.greatgreenwall.org/supplements/weight-loss-statistics/

Dieting in adolescence. Paediatr Child Health. 2004;9(7):487–503.

Article  Google Scholar 

Story M, Rosenwinkel K, Himes JH, Resnick M, Harris LJ, Blum RW. Demographic and risk factors associated with chronic dieting in adolescents. Am J Dis Child. 1991;145:994–8.

CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Daee A, Robinson P, Lawson M, Turpin JA, Gregory B, Tobias JD. Psychologic and physiologic effects of dieting in adolescents. South Med J. 2002;95:1032–41.

Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Cameron JW. Self-esteem changes in children enrolled in weight management programs. Issues Compr Pediatr Nurs. 1999;22:75–85.

Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Field AE, Austin SB, Taylor CB, et al. Relation between dieting and weight change among preadolescents and adolescents. Pediatrics. 2003;112:900–6.

Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Tahreem A, Rakha A, Rabail R, Nazir A, Socol CT, Maerescu CM, Aadil RM. Fad diets: facts and fiction. Front Nutr. 2022;9: 960922.

Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Technology and Media. The common sense census: media use by tweens and teens. 2021

•• Athanasian CE, Lazarevic B, Kriegel ER, Milanaik RL. Alternative diets among adolescents: facts or fads? Curr Opin Pediatr. 2021;33(2):252–9. This review discusses popular fad diets like the Mediterranean, Paleo, vegan, and ketogenic diets as well as intermittent fasting. It focuses on the implementation and shortcomings of each diet.

Liu A. Healthy eating and diets: fad or rad? Pediatr Ann. 2022;51(3):E88–92.

Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Mahmood L, Flores-Barrantes P, Moreno LA, Manios Y, Gonzalez-Gil EM. The influence of parental dietary behaviors and practices on children’s eating habits. Nutrients. 2021;13(4):1138.

Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

• Freire R. Scientific evidence of diets for weight loss: different macronutrient composition, intermittent fasting, and popular diets. Nutrition (Burbank, Los Angeles County, Calif). 2020;69:110549. This article synthesizes evidence suggesting that no single dietary strategy is superior for weight loss. Rather than macronutrient composition, more impactful factors include negative energy balance, nutritional quality, and long-term adherence.

Monzani A, Ricotti R, Caputo M, et al. A systematic review of the association of skipping breakfast with weight and cardiometabolic risk factors in children and adolescents. What should we better investigate in the future? Nutrients. 2019;11(2):387.

•• Hampl SE, Hassink SG, Skinner AC, et al. Clinical practice guideline for the evaluation and treatment of children and adolescents with obesity. Pediatrics (Evanston). 2023;151(2). This includes guidance for the treatment and evaluation of children and adolescents with obesity. It discusses a multipronged approach to managing obesity including behavioral changes, family involvement, and other strategies.

Liu YM, Williams S, Basualdo-Hammond C, Stephens D, Curtis R. A prospective study: growth and nutritional status of children treated with the ketogenic diet. J Am Diet Assoc. 2003;103(6):707–12.

Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

De Amicis R, Leone A, Pellizzari M, Foppiani A, Battezzati A, Lessa C, Tagliabue A, Ferraris C, De Giorgis V, Olivotto S, Previtali R, Veggiotti P, Bertoli S. Long-term follow-up of nutritional status in children with GLUT1 deficiency syndrome treated with classic ketogenic diet: a 5-year prospective study. Front Nutr. 2023;24(10):1148960.

Article  Google Scholar 

Andrewski E, Cheng K, Vanderpool C. Nutritional deficiencies in vegetarian, gluten-free, and ketogenic diets. Pediatr Rev. 2022;43(2):61–70.

Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Perry CL, McGuire MT, Neumark-Sztainer D, Story M. Characteristics of vegetarian adolescents in a multiethnic urban population. J Adolesc Health. 2001;29:406–16.

Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Gehring J, Touvier M, Baudry J, Julia C, Buscail C, Srour B, Hercberg S, Péneau S, Kesse-Guyot E, Allès B. Consumption of ultra-processed foods by pesco-vegetarians, vegetarians, and vegans: associations with duration and age at diet initiation. J Nutr. 2021;151(1):120–31.

Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Sergentanis TN, Chelmi ME, Liampas A, Yfanti CM, Panagouli E, Vlachopapadopoulou E, Michalacos S, Bacopoulou F, Psaltopoulou T, Tsitsika A. Vegetarian diets and eating disorders in adolescents and young adults: a systematic review. Children (Basel). 2020;8(1):12.

PubMed  Google Scholar 

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service, Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion. 2023. Average healthy eating index-2020 scores for the U.S. population - total ages 2 and older and by age groups, WWEIA, NHANES 2017–2018.

Calcaterra V, Klersy C, Muratori T, et al. Prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MS) in children and adolescents with varying degrees of obesity. Clinical endocrinology (Oxford). 2008;68(6):868–72.

Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Bass R, Eneli I. Severe childhood obesity: an under-recognised and growing health problem. Postgrad Med J. 2015;91(1081):639–45.

Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Gardner CD, Trepanowski JF, Del Gobbo LC, et al. Effect of low-fat vs low-carbohydrate diet on 12-month weight loss in overweight adults and the association with genotype pattern or insulin secretion: the DIETFITS randomized clinical trial. JAMA. 2018;319(7):667–79.

Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Zachary M, Sisley S. The pediatric obesity encounter: literature and resources to help with 4 common issues. Current nutrition reports. 2020;9(2):94–100.

Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Livingston AS, Cudhea F, Wang L, et al. Effect of reducing ultraprocessed food consumption on obesity among US children and adolescents aged 7–18 years: evidence from a simulation model. BMJ nutrition, prevention & health. 2021;4(2):397–404.

Article  Google Scholar 

• Hall KD, Ayuketah A, Brychta R, Cai H, Cassimatis T, Chen KY, Chung ST, Costa E, Courville A, Darcey V, Fletcher LA, Forde CG, Gharib AM, Guo J, Howard R, Joseph PV, McGehee S, Ouwerkerk R, Raisinger K, Rozga I, Stagliano M, Walter M, Walter PJ, Yang S, Zhou M. Ultra-Processed diets cause excess calorie intake and weight gain: an inpatient randomized controlled trial of ad libitum food intake. Cell Metab. 2019;30(1):67-77.e3. This study showed that ultraprocessed foods were associated with weight gain.

U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Dietary guidelines for Americans, 2020–2025. 9th Edition. December 2020. Available at DietaryGuidelines.gov

• Malik VS, An P, Willey WC, Hu FB. Sugar-sweetened beverages and weight gain in children and adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Am J Clin Nutr. 2013;98(4):1084–102. This systematic review showed that sugar-sweetened beverages are associated with weight gain in children and adults.

Vos MB, Kaar JL, Welsh JA, Van Horn LV, Feig DI, Anderson CAM, Patel MJ, Cruz Munos J, Krebs NF, Xanthakos SA, Johnson RK. American heart association nutrition committee of the council on lifestyle and cardiometabolic health; Council on clinical cardiology; Council on cardiovascular disease in the young; Council on cardiovascular and stroke nursing; Council on epidemiology and prevention; Council on functional genomics and translational biology; and Council on hypertension. Added sugars and cardiovascular disease risk in children: a scientific statement from the American heart association. Circulation. 2017;135(19):e1017–34.

Traffic light diet or similar approaches. Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Evidence Analysis Library. 2006. https://www.andeal.org/topic.cfm?cat=1429