Weight loss and 2-y follow-up for 80 morbidly obese patients treated with intensive very-low-calorie diet and an education program.

Eighty morbidly obese individuals consecutively enrolled in a comprehensive very-low-calorie diet (VLCD) program were evaluated. Patients' mean initial body mass index was 45.5 kg/m2 and they lost 35.3 kg in 26 wk. Serum total cholesterol, low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglycerides decreased by 15.0%, 17.0%, and 14%, respectively. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure decreased by 8.7% and 10.0%, respectively. The 46 individuals completing 2-y follow-up were maintaining 48.0 +/- 7.6% (means +/- SE) of their weight loss. Morbidly obese persons lost substantial amounts of weight using a comprehensive VLCD program, reduced risk factors associated with obesity, and had encouraging long-term results, with 48% of weight loss maintained at 2 y of follow-up.