Date Available

12-9-2015

Year of Publication

2015

Degree Name

Master of Science in Nutrition and Food Systems (MSNFS)

Document Type

Master's Thesis

College

Agriculture, Food and Environment

Department/School/Program

Dietetics and Human Nutrition

First Advisor

Dr. Kelly Webber

Abstract

Current health recommendations encourage weight loss for overweight and obese individuals. However, the importance of weight to health is still unclear. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of weight loss on overall health in a sample of adults who have completed a 10 or 12 week weight loss intervention. The study sample included males and females (n =99) between the ages of 27 -64 years that had a BMI of 29-45 kg/m². The study design is a secondary data analysis of data from two different behavioral weight loss interventions. Both interventions prescribed a reduced calorie diet, increased physical activity, and self-monitoring of diet and physical activity. Of the 99 participants, 28 lost greater than 5% of baseline body weight and saw the most significant changes in waist circumference (p<0.001), systolic blood pressure (p=0.004), diastolic blood pressure (p=0.002), and total cholesterol (p=0.001). This group experienced improvements in every lab value tested. More research with larger sample sizes and longer trial periods need to be done in order to strengthen the validity of the weight loss interventions.

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