title: Lifestyle counseling to reduce body weight and cardiometabolic risk factors among truck and bus drivers--a randomized controlled trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We conducted a randomized trial among overweight long-distance drivers to study the effects of structured lifestyle counseling on body weight and cardiometabolic risk factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Men with waist circumference >100 cm were randomized into a lifestyle counseling (LIFE, N=55) and a reference (REF, N=58) group. The LIFE group participated in monthly counseling on nutrition, physical activity, and sleep for 12 months aiming at 10% weight loss. After 12 months, the REF group participated in 3-month counseling. Assessments took place at 0, 12, and 24 months. Between-group differences in changes were analyzed by generalized linear modeling. Metabolic risk (Z score) was calculated from components of metabolic syndrome.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean body weight change after 12 months was -3.4 kg in LIFE (N=47) and 0.7 kg in REF (N=48) [net difference -4.0 kg, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) -1.9- -6.2]. Six men in LIFE reduced body weight by ≥10%. Changes in waist circumference were -4.7 cm in LIFE and -0.1 cm in REF (net -4.7 cm, 95% CI -6.6- -2.7). Metabolic risk decreased more in the LIFE than REF group (net -1.2 points, 95% CI -0.6- -2.0). After 24 months follow-up, there were no between-group differences in changes in body weight (net -0.5 kg, 95% CI -3.8-2.9) or metabolic risk score (net 0.1 points; 95% CI -0.8-1.0) compared to baseline.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Weight reduction and decreases in cardiometabolic risk factors were clinically meaningful after 12 months of counseling.
authors.affiliation: UKK Institute for Health Promotion Research, Box 30, FI-33501 Tampere, Finland.[E-mail: jatta.puhkala@uta.fi].
authors.forename: Jatta
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Puhkala
authors.forename: Katriina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kukkonen-Harjula
authors.forename: Kirsi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mansikkamäki
authors.forename: Minna
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aittasalo
authors.forename: Christer
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hublin
authors.forename: Paula
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kärmeniemi
authors.forename: Seppo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Olkkonen
authors.forename: Markku
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Partinen
authors.forename: Mikael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sallinen
authors.forename: Kari
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tokola
authors.forename: Mikael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fogelholm
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001334:Automobile Driving; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D003376:Counseling; D004038:Diet, Reducing; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D008875:Middle Aged; D050177:Overweight / Q000628:therapy*; D012307:Risk Factors; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior; D015431:Weight Loss