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Workplace
Weight-Loss Program Helps Diet Novices
Weight-loss programs that operate from workplaces can be
a particularly good way to help people who might otherwise
not seek advice on shedding excess pounds, Scottish researchers
said.
Wilma Leslie from the University of Glasgow and colleagues
ran a weight-loss program at a big Scottish oil refinery
with about 2,500 employees.
Via emails employees could access on the internal system,
the researchers recruited 122 men who had an average waist
size of 102 centimeters and a body mass index (BMI) of around
30, none of whom had previously sought help losing weight.
BMI is calculated by dividing weight in kilograms by height
in meters squared. A BMI of 25 to 29.9 is considered overweight,
and 30 or more indicates obesity.
The men were assigned to one of two weight-loss programs
for 12 weeks, with face-to-face appointments every two weeks,
followed by a 12-week maintenance program run through email
contact. They were either assigned an individualized diet
designed to reduce their daily intake by 600 calories, or
a standard diet of 1,500 calories per day.
The men could attend their appointments during lunch-time
or when their boss gave them a bit of time off--which made
it easy for them to take part, Leslie told a meeting of
the Association for the Study of Obesity, in London.
During the first 12 weeks, 31 of the men dropped out of
the program, for a variety of reasons. Of those who stuck
with it, 9 percent lost 10 percent or more of their original
weight, while 46 percent lost five to 10 percent. Just 10
percent lost no weight.
There was no significant difference between the different
diet groups in weight loss, although the dropout rate was
lower in the group given personalized diets.
Over the following 12 weeks of "weight-maintenance,"
the men gained an average of 1.1 kilograms, although 62
percent kept off more than half of the weight they had lost.
The workplace is a good arena for tackling overweight and
obesity, Leslie said, particularly in the case of men who
might otherwise not seek professional help.
"More companies should be encouraged along these lines,"
she told the meeting. "We got to a population who would
otherwise not have sought out weight-loss assistance."
"I think the work site is a tremendous opportunity
to do this," commented Dr. Jim Hill, director of the
Center for Human Nutrition at the University of Colorado
at Denver, in the U.S.
It also benefits the employer in terms of reduced sick days
and healthcare costs, added Hill, who was not involved in
the study.
Obesity is linked to an increased risk of major diseases
such as heart disease, diabetes and certain cancers.
Article
Source: Reuters Health
Article Author: Stephen Pincock
Net Reference 89
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