Results of a course based obesity intervention program during work

Area of Science:

• Military health
• Obesity intervention
• Public health

Background:

• Overweight and obesity pose significant challenges to military recruitment and performance.
• The German Armed Forces established a Military Obesity Intervention Program (OIP) in 2001.
• A course-based version of the OIP was introduced as an alternative to outpatient care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the outcomes of the OIP's course version.
• To compare the effectiveness of the course version with other OIP formats.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of participants in the OIP course version since 2001.
• Intention-to-treat analysis was employed.

Main Results:

• Significant improvements were observed in body weight, BMI, waist circumference, blood pressure, physical capacity, cholesterol levels, and HbA1c.
• 180 participants (53.9%) completed the entire OIP course.
• 27.5% of participants achieved a body weight reduction of 5% or more.

Conclusions:

• While various health parameters improved, only a small proportion of obese military personnel achieved significant weight reduction.
• Additional preventive measures are crucial alongside existing obesity intervention programs for the military.
• Enhanced strategies are needed to combat overweight and obesity within armed forces.