COVID Obesity: A One-Year Narrative Review.

On 11 March 2020, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO). This study focuses on a narrative review about the illness during the first year of the pandemic in relation to obesity. Databases were used to search studies published up to 8 December 2020. In total, 4430 articles and other scientific literature were found, and 24 articles were included in this one-year narrative review. The mean BMI value of severe COVID-19 patients ranged from 24.5 to 33.4 kg/m2, versus <18.5 to 24.3 kg/m2 for non-severe patients. Articles using the terms obesity or overweight without indicating the BMI value in these patients were common, but this is not useful, as the anthropometric parameters, when not defined by this index, are confusing due to the classification being different in the West compared to among Asian and Korean criteria-based adults. We proposed a new term, called COVID obesity, to define the importance of this anthropometric parameter, among others, in relation with this pandemic.

Web Support for Weight-Loss Interventions: PREDIRCAM2 Clinical Trial Baseline Characteristics and Preliminary Results.

An ongoing clinical trial is testing the efficacy of web telematic support in a structured program for obesity treatment and diabetes prevention. Participants were recruited from two tertiary-care hospitals and randomized to receive either a telematic intervention (TI) supported by PREDIRCAM2 web platform or a non-telematic intervention (NTI). All receive 1-year follow-up. Both interventions consist of tailored dietary and exercise prescriptions, based on a Mediterranean dietary pattern and general WHO exercise recommendations for adults. At 6 months, both groups have received 7 contacts, 3 exclusively telematic for the TI group. This is a preliminary result intention-to-treat analysis. One hundred eighty-three participants were recruited, with a mean body mass index of 34.75 ± 2.75 kg/m2. General dropout rate at 6 months was 26.8%. Weight changes were statistically significant at months 3 and 6 compared to baseline, -2.915 ± 0.24 kg, -3.29 ± 0.36 kg, respectively (P < 0.001), but not statistically significant between the 3- and 6-month time points -0.37 ± 0.21 kg (P = 0.24). Mean group differences showed that the TI group lost 1.61 ± 1.88 kg more than the NTI group (P = 0.39). Waist, waist/hip ratio, resting heart rate, blood pressure, HbA1c, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol also showed statistically significant changes at 6 months, with no significant differences between groups. Weight loss in the TI group shows similar results as the usual care NTI group for weight loss and control of obesity comorbidities. At completion of the clinical trial, these results will be reevaluated to assess the potential role of web support in weight-loss maintenance and its cost-effectiveness.

Causas y tratamiento de la obesidad / Obesity's causes and treatment

Introducción: la cronicidad y factores de riesgo asociados que definen a la obesidad son características que reflejan la necesidad de conocer los motivos desencadenantes y el modo de abarcarla. Objetivos: recoger la información científica más reciente sobre esta patología. Métodos: búsqueda bibliográfica sobre las causas que favorecen el desarrollo de la obesidad, medidas antropométricas más habitualmente empleadas para evaluar la patología así como el riesgo cardiometabólico asociado al exceso de grasa y tratamiento médico. Resultados y Discusión: los tratamientos médicos actuales más respaldados están integrados por la modificación del estilo de vida favoreciendo mediante técnicas cognitivo-conductuales una alimentación equilibrada hipocalórica y la presencia de ejercicio físico, tratamiento farmacológico y cirugía bariátrica. Conclusiones: los diferentes factores relacionados con el desarrollo o aparición de esta enfermedad y las características que definen los tratamientos médicos a adoptar revelan la transcendencia de un trabajo multidisciplinar (AU)

Introduction: chronicity and associated risk factors that define obesity are features that show the necessity of knowing its causing reasons and the way of dealing with it. Main: collecting the latest scientific information about this disease. Methods: bibliographic research about the reasons which favour the development of obesity, the anthropometric measures most frequently used to evaluate this pathology and the cardiometabolic risk associated with fat excess and medical treatment. Results: the current medical treatments with more support include lifestyle modification through behavioural cognitive techniques, a low-calorie balanced feeding and exercise, pharmacological treatment and bariatric surgery. Conclusions: the different factors associated with either the development or the appearance of this pathology, plus the characteristics that define its medical treatments, reveal the transcendence of multidisciplinary work (AU)