Journal of Obesity & Weight Loss Therapy
Open Access

Abstract

Use of meal replacements (MR) and physical activity (PA) seems to be effective weight-loss strategies both in the short and long term in a clinical trial setting. Two longitudinal studies kept track of the nutritional parameters development within the weight loss programs based mainly on low-calorie diet using MR (MR group, 56 women and 23 men) and physical activity (PA group, 97 women and 46 men). In both samples, weight loss was significant, with an average of-10 to 11% of initial weight, but in different periods of time (on average 4 months to MR sample and 9 months to PA sample). The average weight loss was -2.7 kg/month in MR group and -0.8 kg/month in PA group, with higher values in men for both study groups. Percentage of excess weight loss was approximately 40%, and adherence to weight loss program was better for women in MR group and for men in PA group. The percentage of weight loss was significantly correlated with the length of weight loss program, but also with initial BMI. Replacing two meals a day was an effective way to lose weight because of its simplicity and convenience of use. The cost of the products and monotony of the diet were the main causes to abandon the diet. Subsequently, keeping the obtained weight was better in the subjects replacing one meal a day with MR and in the people keeping a high level of PA.

Biography

Ioan Chirila is a senior M.D. in the field of Preventive Medicine and has a master?s degree in Nutrition. He completed his Ph.D. this year in overweight management methods from University of Medicine and Pharmacy ?Grigore T. Popa? (Iasi, Romania), after a research mobility in the Department of Public Health from University of Szeged (Hungary). In 2010, he was nominated Practitioner of the Year: Preventive Medicine, for performance and dedication in medical profession (Young Doctors Awards) and he now works in National Institute of Public Health from Romania. He has published/ presented more than scientific 25 works.