Introduction: After making some points −not sufficiently clarified in the feeding guides− we have resorted to the traditional Mediterranean diet and we have measured the anthropometric values at the beginning and at the end of the study, in patients who made a reasonably correct compliance with the guidelines, and even so they were overweight and obese.
Patients and methods: Children aged 2 to 8 years with overweight and obesity were included in a nutritional education program called «Learning to eat from the Mediterranean». To evaluate the quality of the diet, we used the Kidmed test and to measure the new proposals we designed the test Traditional Mediterranean Diet.
Results: A sample of 92 patients was obtained (42 girls and 50 boys). The average age was 5.3 years. After one year of intervention, 75.7% were no longer obese and 74.3% stopped being overweight. Overall, the BMI percentile fell 12.1 points. An improvement in the quality of the food reflected in a better score of both indices was achieved. The Kidmed test was not appropriate for the control of overweight.
Conclusions: The application of a traditional Mediterranean diet pattern in the family environment has been very effective in the control of overweight or obese children. We believe that compliance with the Traditional Mediterranean Diet test along with the nutritional program «Learning to eat from the Mediterranean» have been key in the results.

Correspondencia: F.M. Calatayud Sáez. Clínica Infanto-Juvenil La Palma. C/Palma, 17, bajo A. 13001 Ciudad Real. Correo electrónico: altayud@gmail.com

Childhood obesity is a problem of primary importance in our society. Likewise, immigration is an increasing phenomenon in Spain. The objective is to describe the clinical status before, during and after a dietary intervention in a group of obese children in the attempt to determine the importance of the growing number of immigrant children. We study the patients who are referred to our pediatric obesity unit with a body mass index standard deviation score greater than 2. The prevalence of obesity is higher among immigrant children; their obesity is more severe, they fail to continue the periodic follow-up visits more frequently and have poorer results in terms of reducing the body mass index than Spanish children. Moreover, the incidence of metabolic syndrome is higher. Difficulties with language, cultural differences and the lack of perception of obesity as a disease make the group of immigrant children more vulnerable to obesity.