[Evaluation of a motivational intervention of physical activity program in the treatment of obesity and overweight]

Abstract

Objective: To analyse the outcomes of a motivational physical activity program for the treatment of obesity.

Method: A randomised, controlled, double blind clinical trial with 2 arms, 12 months of follow-up and a 1:1 allocation ratio. The data was collected between July 2017 and July 2018. The patients, of both genders, had to be referred by their occupational medicine doctors with the diagnosis of overweight or obesity and be aged between 20 and 65 years. An analysis was made of the anthropometric measurements, lipid parameters, as well as on the follow-up of the program.

Results: A total of 123 obese or overweight patients participated. Two groups were formed; 61 in intervention group [G1] and 62 in as usual care control group [G2]). As regards the 107 that finished the study (60 in G1 and 47 in G2), the mean age was 45.55±12.83 SD, with 57.2% women and 42.8% men. The number of patients followed-up was much higher in the Physical Activity Program than in the control group, and the number of dropouts (only one) was insignificant. It can be seen how both the weight and the body mass index as the main lipid parameters are reduced in the study group significantly with respect to the control group. The physical activity of the group in the motivated physical activity program is three times higher than in the group without intervention. There was a significant relationship between the increase in activity and weight reduction (P<.001), also between the reduction in weight and the reduction in cholesterol and triglycerides.

Conclusions: In our study, a motivational physical activity program leads to more follow-up and therefore improves the anthropometric and lipid parameters.

Keywords: Actividad física; Obesidad; Obesity; Overweight; Physical activity; Sobrepeso.