title: Aggressive clinical approach to obesity improves metabolic and clinical outcomes and can prevent bariatric surgery: a single center experience.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The number of bariatric procedures has exponentially increased in the past decade, as a result of the lack of successful clinical weight-loss interventions. The main reasons for the failure of clinical obesity management are: (1) anti-obesity medications are administered as monotherapies (or pre-combined drugs); (2) lack of combination between pharmacotherapy and non-pharmacological modalities; (3) short duration of pharmacotherapy for obesity; (4) lack of weight-loss maintenance strategies; (5) misunderstanding of the complex pathophysiology of obesity; and (6) underprescription of anti-obesity medications. We developed a protocol that can potentially overcome the drawbacks that may lead to the failure of clinical therapy for obesity. The aim of this study is therefore to report the clinical and metabolic effects of our proposed obesity-management protocol over a 2-year period, and to determine whether this more intensive approach to obesity management is feasible and a possible alternative to bariatric surgery in patients with moderate-to-severe obesity.
  
  
  METHODS
  This retrospective study involved 43 patients in whom bariatric surgery was indicated. Patients underwent an intensive anti-obesity protocol that included pharmacotherapy with multiple drugs; intense surveillance with monthly body analysis by air-displacement plethysmography, electrical bioimpedance, and 3D body scans; weekly psychotherapy; diet planning with a dietician every 2 months; and exercises at least 3 times a week with exercises prescribed by a personal trainer at least once a month. Body weight (BW), total weight excess (TWE), obesity class, body mass index, fat weight, muscle weight, waist circumference, and visceral fat were analyzed. Markers of lipid and glucose metabolism, liver function, and inflammation were also evaluated. Therapeutic success was defined as >20% BW loss or >50% decrease in TWE after 1 year.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant improvements were observed in all clinical and metabolic parameters. Thirty-eight (88.4%) patients achieved 10% BW loss, and 32 (74.4%) achieved 20% BW loss. TWE decreased by >50% in 35 (81.4%) patients. Forty (93.0%) patients were able to avoid bariatric surgery.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  An intensive clinical approach to obesity management can be an effective alternative to bariatric surgery, although further randomized controlled studies are necessary to validate our findings.
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, R. Pedro de Toledo 781, 04039-032 São Paulo, SP Brazil.|Corpometria Institute, an Obesity and Endocrinology Center, SGAS 915 Centro Clínico Advance Salas 260/262/264, 70390-150 Brasilia, DF Brazil.
authors.forename: Flavio A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Cadegiani
authors.affiliation: Corpometria Institute, an Obesity and Endocrinology Center, SGAS 915 Centro Clínico Advance Salas 260/262/264, 70390-150 Brasilia, DF Brazil.
authors.forename: Gustavo C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Diniz
authors.affiliation: Corpometria Institute, an Obesity and Endocrinology Center, SGAS 915 Centro Clínico Advance Salas 260/262/264, 70390-150 Brasilia, DF Brazil.
authors.forename: Gabriella
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Alves
keywords: Bariatric surgery; Behavioral strategies; Dietary adherence; Exercise intervention; Liraglutide; Obesity; Pharmacologic therapy; SGLT2