Safety and efficacy evaluation of a fitness club weight-loss program

It is well documented that excess weight is a major risk factor for many ch ronic diseases, and, despite considerable expenditure of time, money, and e ffort, little or no progress has been made in reversing the trend toward in creased weight. Although fitness and athletic clubs offer one potential for tackling this problem, few provide information about the efficacy of their weight-loss programs. There is general agreement that an efficacious weigh t-loss program should reduce body fat, maintain or increase fat-free mass ( FFM), and lower total and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. This s tudy was designed to compare changes in body composition and serum choleste rol associated with participation in a fitness club program (EXP) versus ch anges that occurred when participants pursued a program of their own choosi ng (CTL). The EXP group participated in the Bally's Total Fitness program t hat included exercise, behavior modification, and dietary supplements. Alth ough only small differences in body weight were noted between groups, parti cipation in the EXP program led to significant (sixfold) reductions in fat mass, increases in FFM, and improvements in body composition. These data hi ghlight the importance of using measures of body composition rather than sc ale weight in evaluating the efficacy of weight-loss programs. Additionally , the EXP group achieved significant reductions in total and LDL cholestero l, particularly among individuals with baseline total cholesterol levels ab ove 200 mu g/dL. It is also worth noting that respective cholesterol levels were maintained for participants with total cholesterol levels between 150 and 199 mu g/dL and were increased for those with levels at or below 150 m u g/dL.