Malnutrition evaluation in obese patients of both sexes on a very low caloric content diet

We have evaluated the effectiveness of a very low caloric content diet (VLCD) during 6 weeks in patients with severe obesity (grades II and III). Twenty-seven men and 61 women were selected for evaluation of anthropometric (weight, body mass index [BMI], waist, hip, C/c, fatty weight and intra-abdominal fatty area) and biochemical (creatinine-height index [CHI], albumin, transferrin, retinol binding protein [RBP], prealbumin, C3, and lymphocytes count) malnutrition parameters, at the beginning and after 6 weeks of treatment with VLCD. In men we found a significant decrease of weight, BMI, waist, hip, fatty weight, and intra-abdominal fatty area. In women the decrease of weight, BMI, hip, and fatty weight was also significant. We found baseline malnutrition in 7.4% of men and in 14.7% of women, and after the treatment in 22.2% of men and in 34.4% of women (p < 0.05). With regard to the biochemical parameters of protein malnutrition, only men showed significant decrease in the CHI and only women showed significant decrease in transferrin, RBP, prealbumin, and C3. In conclusion, we can state that different types of VLCD are effective for weight loss in severe obese subjects. However, within a period of follow-up of 6 weeks we have detected the presence of protein malnutrition, especially in women, being in these patients affected the visceral compartment while in men the muscular compartment is affected.