*5.2. Motivational Interviewing*

Frequent counseling may be required in order to help patients maintain motivation to achieve a healthy weight [81]. Motivational interviewing (MI) focus on engagement by establishing a working relationship with the patient in order to explore and plan the need for changes, while at the same time avoiding stigmatizing language regarding weight that may negatively impact a teen and result in BE, decreased physical activity, social isolation, avoidance of health care services, and increased weight gain [27]. Effective health provider– patient communication using MI techniques have been proved useful to encourage positive behavior changes [5].

Even when there is a constant interest for a better approach to prevent and treat obesity among the youth, the actual population-oriented interventions and traditional medical care have not had the expected impact. This shows us that new alternatives are needed

in order to fight obesity effectively. As an example, a personalized approach and more intense family-based multi-professional weight management called "*Personalized approach in obesity management*" was initiated in Estonia, being a successful long-term project for dealing with overweight children. Using the motivational interview method, the selfmotivation of parents and the child for lifestyle changes was examined using the LINE chair Visual Analogue Scale (VAS—1–10 points), real goals for the child's lifestyle change were selected [82]. According to self-assessment, only 14% of children had similar aspects of health compared to healthy children and, as for the parents, the corresponding figure was 9%. Quality of life estimated that the indicator of children's physical and emotional health is the most frequently disturbed (in 90–92% of respondents). The relevance of the project's results can be seen by its nomination as an example of best practice in Estonia in the EU Joint Action on Nutrition and Physical activity (JANPA) [83].
