[Effect of intensive nutritional intervention in patients refractory to weight loss]

To assess the effect of an intensive nutritional intervention on the body weight and waist circumference in adults refractory to weight loss, by applying a personalised low-calorie Mediterranean diet.

A prospective study was conducted for 6 months on 100 participants with an age range between 55 and 75 years, a BMI ≥ 27 and < 40 kg/my, and fulfilled 3 or more criteria of metabolic syndrome. The intervention consisted of prescribing a low-calorie Mediterranean diet, exercise recommendations, and motivational talks. Anthropometric variables were recorded 11a month during the entire intervention. An analysis was made of the results using the Chi-squared and Student-t tests. The Odds Ratio of the variables associated with weight loss and their 95% confidence intervals was calculated using a non-conditional logistic regression.

After the "rescue" intervention, the patients lost an average of 2.9% of the body weight and 2.1% of waist circumference, the target of the loss ≥ 3% of the weight and 26% of the sample the target of reduction ≥ 3% of waist circumference being achieved 38% of the sample. No statistically significant differences were observed in weight and waist circumference loss in any of the variables analysed.

Intensive intervention, based on a low-calorie Mediterranean diet, with recommendations of physical activity and motivational talks, achieved a moderate weight loss in patients refractory to treatments for obesity.