OBJECTIVE

Weight-loss interventions to correct overweight and obesity are very popular but often inappropriate and unsuccessful.

METHODS

In this review we evaluated studies on body composition changes during and after different medical and surgical interventions aimed at achieving stable weight loss in overweight and obese individuals.

RESULTS

Most of the available literature and good clinical practice observations deal mainly with post-menopausal overweight and obese women, and, to a lesser extent adolescents and elderly, female and male, populations. These studies suggest that weight-loss maintenance interventions should have greater consideration and priority than simple weight-loss treatments. At a long term follow up (over one year), relatively high protein, moderately low calorie, low glycemic index diets, associated with a daily, moderate intensity, physical exercise (of at least 30 min), appear to be more successful in limiting long term relapse, maintaining fat free mass and achieving the highest fat loss. Diet alone or physical exercise alone does not produce similar results. Health professional training and practice also appear a challenging target.

CONCLUSIONS

Adequate dietetic advice plus regular physical exercise avoid the fat-free-mass loss usually observed in the relapse of the weight cycling syndrome and prevent the onset of sarcopenic obesity.