Changes in body composition, physical performance and cardiovascular risk factors after a 3-week integrated body weight reduction program and after 1-y follow-up in severely obese men and women.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the short- and medium-term (ie, at 1-y follow-up) effects of a hospital-based body weight reduction (BWR) program lasting 3 weeks in severely obese individuals.


METHODS
Longitudinal, clinical intervention study entailing energy-restricted diet, tailored aerobic-strength exercise, psychological counselling and nutritional education during a 3-week period followed by 49 weeks of indirect supervision at home.


METHODS
In all, 45 women and 19 men aged 30.2 +/- 7.2 y (mean +/- s.d.) with severe obesity (BMI: 41.3 +/- 4.3 kg/m(2)), classified as weight losers (final < initial weight) and regainers (final> or =initial weight).


METHODS
Body composition, physical performance and cardiovascular risk factors before and after the BWR program and at follow-up.


RESULTS
The large majority of the experimental subjects obtained a clinical success after the 1-y period, and the rate was higher in females (n = 37/45, ie, 82.2%) than in males (n = 11/19, ie, 57.9%). At follow-up, weight losers had higher percent fat-free mass, muscle strength, HDL-cholesterol and self-reported physical activity level and lower total cholesterol and glucose levels than weight regainers (P < 0.05-0.01). Males displayed significantly larger fat-free mass losses than females at post-BWR and at follow-up. CONCLUSIONS A 3-week hospital-based integrated BWR program resulted in a high rate of clinical success in severely obese individuals at 1-y follow-up (particularly in females), that was associated with increased levels of self-reported physical activity and improved muscle strength and lipid profile. Further research is needed to establish the long-term effects (ie, at 2-5 y) associated to this treatment.
Maffiuletti
N A
NA
Experimental Laboratory for Endocrinological Research, Italian Institute for Auxology, IRCCS, Milan, Italy. nicola.maffiuletti@u-bourgogne.fr
Agosti
F
F
Marinone
P G
PG
Silvestri
G
G
Lafortuna
C L
CL
Sartorio
A
A
D000328:Adult; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D001823:Body Composition / Q000502:physiology*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D003376:Counseling / Q000379:methods; D018752:Diet, Fat-Restricted / Q000379:methods; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D052756:Nutritional Sciences / Q000193:education; D009765:Obesity / Q000628:therapy*; D010807:Physical Endurance / Q000502:physiology*; D010809:Physical Fitness / Q000502:physiology*; D015397:Program Evaluation / Q000379:methods; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D015431:Weight Loss / Q000502:physiology*
D001786:Blood Glucose; D002784:Cholesterol