2-YEAR MAINTENANCE OF WEIGHT-LOSS AFTER A VLCD AND BEHAVIORAL-THERAPYFOR OBESITY - CORRELATION TO THE SCORES OF QUESTIONNAIRES MEASURING EATING BEHAVIOR

OBJECTIVE: To investigate changes in weight, Three Factor Eating Quest ionnaire and Binge eating scores during a two-year period from the sta rt of a VLCD (Nutrilett(R)) and behavioural modification therapy for o besity. DESIGN: Prospective study of a 17-weeks weight loss programme with one- and two-year follow-up visits. SUBJECTS: 62 healthy, overwei ght subjects without previous eating disorders. The mean (+/-SD) age 4 1+/-8 years and BMI 36.4+/-2.6 kg/m(2). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Weight loss, Binge eating scale, Bulimic Investigatory Test and Three Factor Eating Questionnaire before and after therapy and at 1 and 2 year cont rol visits. RESULTS: The mean weight loss (+/-SD) at the end of the tr eatment was 14.9+/-4.6 kg (n = 59) and at the two-year control 5.8+/-7 .6 kg (n = 57). After two years 20 (32%) patients had a weight loss of more than 10% (good result), 24 patients a weight loss of 0-10% of th eir initial weight (partial result) and 13 patients weighed more than before therapy (poor result). The mean binge eating, disinhibition and hunger scores decreased in all patients by the end of the therapy. At the end of two years these improvements in the scores were maintained in patients with a good result but the scores returned to the pretrea tment levels in the patients with partial or poor result. The mean res traint scores increased in all patients after treatment and were maint ained in those with a good or partial result. CONCLUSIONS: VLCD combin ed with behaviour modification is a useful mode of therapy for obesity with low drop-out rate and majority (71%) of patients below pretreatm ent weight at the two-year control. One third of the patients succeede d to maintain positive changes in the scores measuring eating behaviou r which was associated with sustained weight loss.