Weight loss in obese Mexican Americans treated for 1-year with orlistat and lifestyle modification

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of a culturally appropriate lifestyle intervention combined with orlistat in producing weight loss with obese Mexican-American women. SUBJECTS: Mexican-American women (N=108), aged 21–65 y, with a body mass index (BMI) ≥27 kg/m2 were randomized to 1 y of treatment with orlistat and a culturally tailored lifestyle modification intervention (OLM; n=56) or a wait-list control group (WLC; n=52). DESIGN: A randomized, controlled, open-label 12-month study. Orlistat was dosed at 120 mg, three times per day. The OLM intervention included behavior modification, a low-fat (≤30% of total daily calories) diet, and moderate physical activity (≥150 min/week). MEASUREMENT: Primary outcomes included changes in body weight (kg), BMI, waist circumference, blood pressure, glucose, and lipids. RESULTS: A total of 72 (37 OLM, 35 WLC) and 66 participants (32 OLM, 34 WLC) completed the 6- and 12-month follow-ups, respectively. Repeated-measures ANOVA demonstrated a significant time × treatment interaction (Wilks' λ=12.61; P