Diet associated with regular physical activity or drugs. A longitudinal study on obesity management

To assess the influence of 2 methods for obesity management (drugs + diet or physical activity + diet) on body composition in premenopausal women.

We recorded longitudinally the body weight and composition of 9 obese premenopausal women divided into 2 groups: 4 women (group A; mean age+/-SD: 42.50+/-11.90 years; range 25-50) performed a hypocaloric diet associated with orlistat (120 mg/day), 5 women (group B; mean age+/-SD: 44.00+/-10.20 years; range 26-51) performed a hypocaloric diet increasing the physical activity levels (PAL).

After 5 months therapy, the 2 groups significantly reduced the body weight, whereas B group improved the body composition limiting the fat free mass loss, increasing consequently the FFM/FM ratio from the beginning to the end of the study, even if marginally statistically significant (p=0.0787); group A reduced the body weight by the fat free mass and fat mass losses and presented the collateral effects of pharmacological therapy at the end of the study.

The data confirm that in obese premenopausal women a regular physical activity improves the body composition, preventing the reduction of fat free mass hypocaloric diet-induced.