[Dietary habits in obese individuals before ambulatory obesity treatment]

Resting energy expenditure, using indirect calorimetry, and food habits by the food frequency questionnaire, were measured in randomly selected 200 obese people (body weight 102 +/- 23 kg, age 41 +/- 15 yrs) during their first appointment in the Centre for obesity treatment. All were educated in low calorie diet (LCD = 5 MJ) regime at the same way. After 30 months the obese people from the highest and the lowest quartile according to the percentage of weight loss (derived as a percentage of their initial body weight) were compared. There was not found any statistical difference in frequency of particular commodities intake, only higher probability of good weight reduction was confirmed in obese with higher body weight (p < 0.003) and higher resting energy expenditure (p < 0.02) on the beginning of the LCD treatment. This study has demonstrated that food habits assessed according food frequency questionnaire has not predictive value to distinguish between successful or non-successful compliance with very low calorie diet.