Introduction:
Young women with obesity are more likely to experience poorer psychosocial health than males or adults with normal weight. Exercise and energy restriction independently, positively, influence quality of life (QOL) and depressive symptoms amongst obese populations. Less is known regarding the possible additive effects of exercise training when added to dietary weight loss.
Methods:
60 pre-menopausal women with clinically severe obesity were randomised to either energy restriction only (ER) or energy restriction plus 300 weekly minutes of exercise training (EXER; aerobic plus resistance training). Participants underwent testing at 0, 3, 6, and 12 months for weight, QOL (Sf-36) and depressive symptoms (Beck Depression Inventory).
Results:
Both groups improved QOL physical component scores at three and six months but not 12. Mental component scores improved at all time points for EXER (p < 0.05) but only at three months for ER (p = 0.025). Depressive symptom scores were improved at three and six months in both groups. At 12 months, only the EXER group had maintained improvements for symptoms of depression when compared to baseline (p <0.000). Group x Time interactions did not reach significance for any test at any time.
Conclusion:
This study shows that the addition of exercise training to energy restriction did not improve QOL or depressive symptoms for women with obesity more than energy restriction alone. Assessment of the effects of intervention on depressive symptoms is likely limited due to a ceiling effect.