A 6-Month Exercise Intervention Among Inactive and Overweight Favela-Residing Women in Brazil: The Caranguejo Exercise Trial

Objectives. We examined the viability and efficacy of a known quantity of exercise in facilitating weight loss among previously sedentary or irregularly active overweight and obese adult women residing in a slum (favela) in Brazil. Methods. In this randomized controlled trial, 156 women were randomized to a control or intervention group (78 in each group). Exercise was supervised, consisting of three 50-minute aerobic sessions each week for 6 months. Results. Ninety-one percent (71) of the participants in the intervention group completed 6 months of the exercise program. At 6 months, women in the treatment group showed significant reduction in weight (mean=-1.69 kg; 95% confidence interval [CI]=-2.36,-1.03) and body mass index (mean=-0.63 kg/m(2); 95% CI=-0.97, -0.30) compared with controls (P for both <.001). Conclusions. A moderately intense, structured exercise program resulted in modest weight loss in women when sustained for 6 months. (Am J Public Health. 2008;99:76-80. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2007.124495)