Journal of Obesity & Weight Loss Therapy
Open Access

Abstract

In order to preserve and improve the health status of individuals, we proposed the study project SRF-YMCA (surveillance of risk factors for chronic diseases in YMCA members). Thus, the objective of this study was to analyze the weight loss management through exercise based on ACSM/AHA guideline recommendation. We randomly evaluated 30 subjects (15 men and 15 women, aged between 26 and 48 years) from SFR-YMCA, performing a case series study. The exercise prescription was based on the ACSM/AHA current recommendations for health-related to physical activity. The outcomes studied were: total body mass (kg), body mass index (kg/m²), waist-to-hip ratio, waist circumference (cm), sum of peripheral skinfolds (mm), sum of central skinfolds (mm), body fat percentage (%), total fatness (kg), and lean mass (kg). The reassessment was conducted at six months after the beginning of exercise. To examine the responsiveness to the exercise, we estimated absolute and relative deltas values. For the statistical analysis, we used the Shapiro-Wilk test, Student t test, Wilcoxon test and Mann-Whitney U Test (p≤0.05). The exercise based on the ACSM/AHA guideline recommendation for weight loss management was effective. Significant changes and tendencies to improvements occurred in components of body composition (e.g., fat reduction and lean mass increase) for both genders. In addition, it was found that men generally have better responsiveness than women do.

Biography

Valter Silva is a Professor of Evidence-Based Medicine in the Federal University of São Paulo, researcher in the Brazilian Cochrane Centre and member of the Board of Postgraduate and Research in the Federal University of São Paulo. He has working as a peer-reviewer in journals like BMJ. The main fields of interest are related with research methods and statistics, systematic review and meta-analysis, evidence-based health and physical activity for chronic noncommunicable diseases.