Inpatient treatment for severe obesity: A retrospective cohort study in Brazil, comparing exposure variables in a secondary data analysis
2025

Inpatient Treatment for Severe Obesity: A Study in Brazil

Sample size: 856 publication 10 minutes Evidence: high

Author Information

Author(s): Rios Domingos L. S., Oliveira Márcia C. A. M., Braga Sérgio Q., Chamorro Matheus J., Cunha Beatriz L. B., Reis Ana C. R., Guimarães Ana P., Silva Ana D. N., Silva Dandara A. R., Araújo Edilene M. Q., Pimentel Magno M. W.

Primary Institution: Hospital da Obesidade, Camaçari, Bahia, Brazil

Hypothesis

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of treating severe obesity in hospitalized patients using very low-calorie diets and clinical support.

Conclusion

The study suggests that inpatient treatment with low-calorie diets and lifestyle changes significantly improves weight and metabolic health in patients with severe obesity.

Supporting Evidence

  • Three months of hospitalization led to significant reductions in weight, BMI, and fat mass.
  • Men lost more weight and fat mass than women during the treatment.
  • Elderly patients had smaller reductions in BMI and fat mass compared to younger patients.
  • After 6 months, the reductions in weight and fat mass nearly doubled those observed at 3 months.
  • Patients showed significant improvements in glucose, lipid, and inflammatory markers.

Takeaway

This study shows that people with severe obesity can lose a lot of weight and get healthier by staying in the hospital and eating very few calories while getting help to change their habits.

Methodology

The study was a retrospective cohort analysis using secondary data from medical records of patients treated in a Brazilian obesity specialist hospital from 2016 to 2022.

Potential Biases

Potential bias due to the convenience sampling method and the retrospective nature of the study.

Limitations

The study was retrospective and relied on existing medical records, which may have incomplete data.

Participant Demographics

The majority of participants were women (70%) with a median age of approximately 44 years.

Statistical Information

P-Value

p<0.001

Confidence Interval

95% CI: 5.2–5.4 months for weight loss

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1371/journal.pone.0303489

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