What kind of intervention has the best results to reduce the weight in overweighted or obese adults?. ¿Qué tipo de intervención tiene mejores resultados en la disminución de peso en adultos con sobrepeso u obesidad? Revisión sistemática y metaanálisis

Abstract

Evidence has shown that interventions which involve changes in a person's lifestyle, such as diet and physical activity, lead to weight loss and thus reduce the risk factors of cardiovascular disease. However, the effectiveness and necessary duration of specific interventions are unclear. The purpose of this research was to evaluate and compare the effect on weight of interventions based on diet, exercise and a combination of both. The research subjects were overweight and obese adults, at six and twelve months after the beginning of the intervention. First a systematic review was carried out, followed by a meta-analysis. Initially, 24 studies were selected which met the established criteria for inclusion; twelve of these demonstrated the required level of quality. The diet-based interventions resulted in reductions of -6.66 kilograms (95% confidence interval (CI): -9.04 to -4.28) and -3.80 kilograms (CI: -5.50 to -2.10) at six and twelve months, respectively. Those who engaged in exer