Basal metabolism of obese adolescents: inconsistent diet and exercise effects

Effects of 20 wk of diet-plus-behavior (DB) therapy or exercise-plus-diet-plus-behavior (EDB) therapy on changes in basal energy expenditure (BEE) were studied in 36 obese male and female adolescents. BEE was assessed by open-circuit spirometry and body composition by hydrostatic weighing. Dietary restriction was based on the dietary-exchange program. Behavioral treatment included record-keeping, stimulus-control, and reinforcement techniques. EDB therapy included 50 min/d, 3 d/wk of aerobics. A time-by-group (2 X 3) repeated-measures ANOVA was used to analyze pre-to-postintervention differences between groups (DB, EDB, and control). Results revealed small but statistically significant (p less than 0.05) differences in body composition between the two experimental groups and control subjects. There were no differences in body composition between the DB and EDB groups, although all control subjects gained body mass (p less than 0.05). There was no group-by-time interaction for BEE. Moderate correlations of r = less than or equal to 0.61 were obtained between change in BEE and change in body composition for the subjects in the experimental groups.