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Weight loss in obese Mexican Americans treated for 1-year with orlistat and lifestyle modification

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of a culturally appropriate lifestyle intervention combined with orlistat in producing weight loss with obese Mexican-American women.

SUBJECTS: Mexican-American women (N=108), aged 21–65 y, with a body mass index (BMI) ≥27 kg/m2 were randomized to 1 y of treatment with orlistat and a culturally tailored lifestyle modification intervention (OLM; n=56) or a wait-list control group (WLC; n=52).

DESIGN: A randomized, controlled, open-label 12-month study. Orlistat was dosed at 120 mg, three times per day. The OLM intervention included behavior modification, a low-fat (≤30% of total daily calories) diet, and moderate physical activity (≥150 min/week).

MEASUREMENT: Primary outcomes included changes in body weight (kg), BMI, waist circumference, blood pressure, glucose, and lipids.

RESULTS: A total of 72 (37 OLM, 35 WLC) and 66 participants (32 OLM, 34 WLC) completed the 6- and 12-month follow-ups, respectively. Repeated-measures ANOVA demonstrated a significant time × treatment interaction (Wilks' λ=12.61; P<0.001), indicating that OLM-treated patients achieved significant weight loss relative to the WLC group during the study (mean percentage weight loss±s.e.m.; −8.1%±1.2 vs −1.6%±0.7 at 6 months and −8.8%±1.5 vs −0.2%±1.0 at 12 months, respectively). OLM-treated patients also experienced significant reductions in waist circumference, low-density-lipoprotein, and total cholesterol.

CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates the effectiveness of an intervention combining orlistat and lifestyle modification with Mexican-American women, a population with substantial risk for obesity.

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Acknowledgements

This study was funded by a research grant from Roche Phamaceuticals Inc. The Dairy Council of Utah/Nevada provided the nutrition manual for this study. Preliminary portions of this research were presented at the American Heart Association's 4th Scientific Forum on Quality of Care and Outcomes Research in Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke (Washington, DC, October 2002).

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Correspondence to W S Carlos Poston.

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Carlos Poston, W., Reeves, R., Haddock, C. et al. Weight loss in obese Mexican Americans treated for 1-year with orlistat and lifestyle modification. Int J Obes 27, 1486–1493 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0802439

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