Lifestyle intervention can do wonders for obese people
By ANIWednesday, October 27, 2010
WASHINGTON - Two new studies have suggested that lifestyle interventions such as physical activity and structured weight loss programs can lead to significant weight loss in obese people.
In a one-year intensive lifestyle intervention study of diet and physical activity, Bret H. Goodpaster from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and colleagues, randomised a group of 130 severely obese adult individuals without diabetes in two groups to assess weight loss for a period of one year.
One group was randomised to diet and physical activity for the entire 12 months, while the other group had the identical dietary intervention, but with physical activity delayed for six months.
The group that started with the diet and physical activity lost more weight in the first six months than the delayed-activity group (about 24 pounds as compared to 18 pounds).
However, the authors report that weight loss at 12 months was about the same in the two groups (almost 27 pounds versus about 22 pounds).
“In conclusion, intensive lifestyle interventions using a behaviour-based approach can result in clinically significant and meaningful weight loss and improvements in cardio metabolic risk factors in severely obese persons. It is also clear that physical activity should be incorporated early in any dietary restriction approach to induce weight loss and to reduce fatty liver and abdominal fat,” said the authors.
“Additional studies are clearly needed to determine long-term efficacy and cost-effectiveness of such approaches,” they added.
The studies appeared in the journal JAMA. (ANI)
