Abstract
AIM: To ascertain to what extent it is possible to stop being obese (to normalize body mass index [BMI], waist circumference [WC] and/or body fat percentage [BFP]). DESIGN: Longitudinal observational and retrospective study. SITE: Eleven Spanish health centers. PARTICIPANTS: Men and women with BMI≥30kg/m(2) (n=1246) or general obesity (GO), with WC>102cm and >88cm, respectively (n=2122) or abdominal obesity (AO) and with BFP>25% and >35%, respectively (n=2436) or excess body fat (EBF), from the PEPAF Study cohort of 4927 participants aged 20-80years. MAIN MEASUREMENTS: Data from the PEPAF study at baseline and at 6, 12 and 24months: gender, age, diagnoses of diabetes, hypertension and dyslipidemia, smoking, levels of and compliance with physical activity recommendations, maximum oxygen consumption, weigh, height, WC and three skin-folds (thoracic, umbilical and anterior thigh for men and triceps, suprailiac and anterior thigh for women). RESULTS: Of 2054 participants with any type of obesity at baseline and valid data at 2years, 240 (11.6%) had normalized all of their obesity diagnostic indexes. 19.5% (95% confidence interval (95%CI: 17.6-21.4) ceased to have EBF, 12.0% (95%CI: 10.4-13.7) ceased to have AO and 10.5% (95%CI: 8.5-12.7) ceased to have GO. CONCLUSIONS: Obesity differs from other chronic diseases in that it can be «cured» by normalizing the amount of body fat.