[Long-term results (5-year minimum) of the diet treatment of adult obesity. Elements of weight prognosis. Apropos of 138 patients]

Abstract

One hundred and thirty-eight out of 250 obese patients admitted to hospitals between 1972 and 1976 for dietetic treatment comprising 1,000 calories and 100 g carbohydrates were recontacted with a minimum follow-up of 5 years. Seventy-five patients refused to answer the questionnaire or attend an outpatient appointment. Four patients were later excluded from the study. Finally, fifty-nine patients were reassessed. The percentage of good results at 5 years (defined as greater than or equal to 5 p. 100 loss of initial body weight) was 45.5 p. 100 of those reassessed, a minimum of 20 p. 100 of the total number recontacted. The course of obesity was not linear. During the follow-up period there were 45.5 p. 100 of secondary failures (regain of initial body weight after having lost at least 5 p. 100), but also 17 p. 100 of secondary successes. The prognosis was not related to the age of onset of obesity, its duration, sex, occupation, alleged trigger factors, apparent motivation, duration of hospital admission, or treatment before or after hospitalisation. The prognosis was better in patients under 30 or over 50 years of age at the time of treatment (P less than 0.01) and when the body weight had not varied +/- 5 kg in the years preceding treatment (P less than 0.01). The following factors may also play a favourable role (but not statistically significant): the degree of obesity (better results in major obesity greater than or equal to 50 p. 100 overweight), a positive family history, the detection of a physical factor (glucose intolerance) during investigation, and the repetition of medical check-ups after initial counselling.