Weight loss and health-related quality of life

Weight loss might possibly improve health-related quality of life in some trials, but the effect is probably small and the trials are of poor quality.

A systematic review including 34 studies (33 RCTs) was abstracted in DARE. Nine of the 12 studies that used generic HrQoL measures showed positive treatment effects. Positive effects varied by study duration and SF-36 domain. Six of the 11 studies that used obesity-specific measures of HrQoL showed positive treatment effects. Two of the 15 studies that used non-obesity specific measures of HrQoL showed positive treatment effects. There was no significant difference in depressive symptoms, as assessed by the Beck Depression Inventory, between patients who received treatment and those in the control group (pooled effect size 0.071, 95% confidence interval: -0.32 to 0.46).

Comment: The quality of evidence is downgraded by limitations in study quality, by inconsistency (variability in results across studies) and by imprecise results (limited study size for each comparison).

Ədəbiyyat

1. Maciejewski ML, Patrick DL, Williamson DF. A structured review of randomized controlled trials of weight loss showed little improvement in health-related quality of life. J Clin Epidemiol 2005 Jun;58(6):568-78.