An Intensive Lifestyle Intervention Is an Effective Treatment of Morbid Obesity: The TRAMOMTANA Study¿A Two-Year Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

Abstract

[eng] Bariatric surgery is currently the most e ective therapy to induce weight loss in morbidly obese patients. Objective. is controlled, clinical trial with a two-year intervention was aimed at comparing the e cacy of two nonsurgical approaches versus bariatric surgery, on body weight changes and metabolic parameters in morbidly obese patients. Methods. Patients were randomized to an Intensive Lifestyle Intervention (ILI) (𝑛 = 60) or Conventional Obesity erapy (COT) (𝑛 = 46). e ILI group received behavioral therapy and nutritional counseling. e COT group received standard medical treatment. ey were compared with a third group, Surgical Obesity Group (SOG) (𝑛 = 37). Results. Patients who received ILI had a greater percentage of weight loss than patients receiving COT (−11.3% versus −1.6%; 𝑝 < 0.0044). Interestingly 31.4% of patients included in the ILI group were no longer morbidly obese a er just six months of intervention, increasing to 44.4% a er 24 months of intervention. e percentage weight loss in SOG was −29.6% a er that same period of time. Conclusions. ILI was associated with signi cant weight loss when compared to COT, in a group of patients with obesity. An ILI approach could be an alternative therapy to patients with obesity, who are not candidates to undergo bariatric surgery.