Weight loss strategies for obese adults: personalized weight management program vs. standard care.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of a 32-week personalized Polar weight management program (PWMP) compared with standard care (SC) on body weight, body composition, waist circumference, and cardiorespiratory fitness in overweight or obese adults.


METHODS
Overweight or obese (29 +/- 2 kg/m(2)) men and women (n = 74) 38 +/- 5 years of age were randomly assigned into either PWMP (men = 20, women = 21) or SC (men = 15, women = 18). Both groups managed their own diet and exercise program after receiving the same standardized nutrition and physical activity advice. PWMP also received a weight management system with literature to enable the design of a personalized diet and exercise weight loss program. Body weight and body composition, waist circumference, and cardiorespiratory fitness were measured at weeks 0, 16, and 32.


RESULTS
Eighty percent of participants completed the 32-week intervention, with a greater proportion of the dropouts being women (PWMP: 2 men vs. 7 women; SC: 2 men vs. 4 women). At 32 weeks, PWMP completers had significantly (p < 0.001) greater losses in body weight [6.2 +/- 3.4 vs. 2.6 +/- 3.6 (standard deviation) kg], fat mass (5.9 +/- 3.4 vs. 2.2 +/- 3.6 kg), and waist circumference (4.4 +/- 4.5 vs. 1.0 +/- 3.6 cm). Weight loss and fat loss were explained by the exercise energy expenditure completed and not by weekly exercise duration.


CONCLUSIONS
More effective weight loss was achieved after treatment with the PWMP compared with SC. The results suggest that the PWMP enables effective weight loss through tools that support self-monitoring without the requirement of more costly approaches to program supervision.
Byrne
Nuala M
NM
School of Human Movement Studies, Queensland University of Technology, Victoria Park Road, Kelvin Grove, Q4059 Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. n.byrne@qut.edu.au
Meerkin
Jarrod D
JD
Laukkanen
Raija
R
Ross
Robert
R
Fogelholm
Mikael
M
Hills
Andrew P
AP
D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000378:metabolism; D050154:Adiposity / Q000502:physiology; D000328:Adult; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D004038:Diet, Reducing; D004734:Energy Metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D012737:Sex Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D049629:Waist-Hip Ratio; D015431:Weight Loss / Q000502:physiology*