No abstract

Our study shows that a short-term weight-reducing program combining caloric restriction and physical activity has a favorable impact on women's body composition, physical condition, health-related quality of life, and eating behaviors irrespective of their menopausal status.

BackgroundSarcopenic obese (SO) individuals are a unique subset of subjects that combines obesity and sarcopenia. Traditional weight loss programmes including aerobic exercises may worsen their condition by further reducing their lean mass. The objective of this observational and retrospective study was to verify the effect of a mixed weight loss programme combining caloric restriction and exercise on body composition, and lipid‐lipoprotein profile of obese women according to their sarcopenic status.MethodsOne hundred and forty‐six obese women (body mass index ≥ 30 kg/m2 and fat mass ≥ 40%) participated to the 3 week usual and institutionalized weight‐reducing programme combining a dietary plan (1400 ± 200 kcal/day) and aerobic exercise (1 h/day, 6 days/week) of a specialized medical institution. The lean body mass index (LMI; lean mass/height2) was calculated, and women in the lowest tertile of LMI were considered SO.ResultsAt baseline, SO women were older, and their body weight and LMI were lower than non‐sarcopenic obese (N‐SO) women (p < 0.05). N‐SO and SO women similarly lost fat mass and improved their lipid‐lipoprotein profile (p < 0.05), while differences in LMI between groups persisted at the end of the weight‐reducing programme. Indeed, N‐SO women lost lean mass (p < 0.05) while SO did not.ConclusionsThese findings suggest that a short weight loss programme combining caloric restriction and aerobic exercise may significantly reduce fat mass and improve lipid‐lipoprotein profile in obese women, independently of their sarcopenic status. Such programmes may have deleterious effects on lean mass in N‐SO subjects, only.

Background:To examine the effects of a short-term weight reducing program on body composition, eating behaviors, and health-related quality of life (HRQL) of sedentary obese women characterized by different obesity degrees. Methods:44 women with a BMI under 34.9 kg/m² and 39 women with a BMI above 35 kg/m² were studied. Fat mass and lean mass (electrical bioimpedance), eating behaviors (Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire), and HRQL (36-item short form, SF-36, questionnaire) were determined before and after weight loss. Results:Disinhibition and hunger scores and their subscales decreased after weight loss in both groups (0.0001 < p < 0.04). Restriction increased after weight reduction in all women (p = 0.02). Among the five restriction subscales, flexible restriction increased in women with a BMI above 35 kg/m² (p = 0.008), whereas rigid restraint and avoidance of fattening foods increased in both groups (0.006 < p < 0.02). SF-36 Mental Component Score increased after weight loss in all women (p < 0.0001). Conclusion:A 3week weight reducing program changes selected eating behaviors and components of HRQL, irrespective of women’s obesity degree. Data suggest that women with a BMI above 35 kg/m² could have a better weight control in the long term because of their higher flexible restriction after weight loss when compared to those whose BMI was under 34.9 kg/m².

The duration of the numerous weight-loss studies that combine physical activity and diet varies from 3 to 14 months, and these studies have often considered pre- and postmenopausal women separately. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of a 3-week weight-reducing program that combines caloric restriction and exercise on the metabolic profile, eating behaviors, and perceived health of sedentary obese pre- and postmenopausal women, after adjustment for age. In 10 pre- and 22 postmenopausal women, before and after weight loss, body composition, fasting lipid-lipoprotein profile, glucose and insulin levels, eating behaviors, and perceived health state were assessed. Body mass index, fat mass, and waist girth decreased after weight reduction in both groups (p < 0.0001). Reductions in fasting serum cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol levels were greater in pre- than in postmenopausal women (p < 0.0001), whereas triacylglycerol, glucose, and high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol levels decreased similarly in both groups (p < 0.05). Neither fasting insulin nor free fatty-acid concentrations were modified after weight loss in either group. Disinhibition (p < 0.005) and hunger scores on the three-factor eating questionnaire (TFEQ) (p < 0.05) and the state-anxiety score on the state-trait anxiety inventory (STAI) questionnaire (p < 0.0005) decreased in both groups, but restriction (TFEQ) increased (p < 0.01) and trait anxiety (STAI) decreased (p < 0.001) after weight reduction only in premenopausal women. Improvements in selected lipid-lipoprotein indices, eating behaviors, and perceived health-state components were better in pre- than in postmenopausal women, suggesting that menopausal status has an influence on some metabolic and behavioral responses to weight loss.