Changes in body composition, physical performance and cardiovascular risk factors after a 3-week integrated body weight reduction program and after 1-y follow-up in severely obese men and women

Objective: To investigate the short- and medium-term ( ie, at 1-y follow-up) effects of a hospital-based body weight reduction (BWR) program lasting 3 weeks in severely obese individuals. Design: Longitudinal, clinical intervention study entailing energy-restricted diet, tailored aerobic-strength exercise, psychological counselling and nutritional education during a 3-week period followed by 49 weeks of indirect supervision at home. Subjects: In all, 45 women and 19 men aged 30.2 +/- 7.2 y ( mean +/- s.d.) with severe obesity (BMI: 41.3 +/- 4.3 kg/m(2)), classified as weight losers (final