Summary
The efficiency of a slimming treatment, which is the quantity of lean body mass (LBM)
lost for each kilogram of body fat reduced, measured by Efficiency Index (EI), was
investigated in nineteen obese male adolescents aged 10—14 years who lost weight during
four weeks of a treatment combining hypoenergetic diet (0.18 MJ/kg of expected body
weight for stature), physical exercise and psychological support. Anthropometric assessment
of adiposity including body composition using Pařízková and Roth's regression equations
was made before onset of treatment and after 7, 14 and 28 days. Simultaneously, blood
samples were drawn for serum lipids and lipoproteins.
A total of seventy six observations and assessments of treatment efficiency and changes
of lipid profile between every two observations were carried out. Significant correlations
were found between El values and changes in Total Cholesterol and Total Cholesterol/HDL
Cholesterol ratio at the three evaluations carried out. Though HDL-Cholesterol level
increase was not significant, its variations were strongly correlated with EI during
the first and second assessments. Differences found in the magnitude of increase in
nonesterified fatty acids (Δ NEFA), suggest that lipolytic mechanisms were not uniformly
impaired. Treatment efficiency and Δ NEFA were lower in subjects with lesser adiposity
related to muscle mass at the middle third of the upper arm (measured through Energy/
Protein Index). Triglycerides and LDL + VLDL Cholesterol levels showed little variations.
The achievement of a high treatment efficiency is not only necessary for preserving
growth, but also for the significant decrease which occurs in some lipid fractions
when EI is below 0.5.
Key words
Adolescents - Obesity - Body composition - Serum lipids - Serum lipoproteins
