Health And Wellness Coaching Improves Body Composition and Quality Of Life With No Diet Prescription

Abstract

Global obesity rates have reached epidemic proportions. However, it is estimated that 95% of the dieters find difficulty in maintaining weight loss and return to gain it for up to 2 years. The desire for long lasting behavioral and weight changes motivated health professionals to seek for new approaches to stop the obesity growing rates. Health and wellness coaching (HWC) comes up as a behavioral change approach, based on a client-centered process, without a diet prescription, and seems to be more likely to promote long lasting changes. The subject of this study had previously tried different diets, all of which failed to achieve lasting weight loss. PURPOSE:the aim of this case report is to present and evaluate HWC in promoting sustainable lifestyle changes especially in body composition, eating pattern and self-assessment of quality of life. METHODS: body composition, quality of life (WHOQOL-bref) and nutritional intake were assessed at baseline (P1), after 12 weeks of HWC (P2) and 14 weeks after the end of the intervention (P3). 12 HWC sessions were completed, which were held weekly (1 hour each), and 36 physical activity sessions, which were held 3 times a week (1 hour each). No diet was prescribed during the whole process. RESULTS: In P3, HWC and physical activity sessions were associated with reductions in body weight (-5.1 kg), fat mass (-5.2 kg), BMI [from 29.6 (P1) to 27.8 kg/m2 (P3)], and waist circumference (-7.1cm). From P1 to P3, we also observed maintenance of the fat free mass (54,1 kg), a decrease in total energy intake (-300 kcal/day) and fat intake (-44%). Great improvement in all aspects of self-rated quality of life was also shown. This outcomes emphazise the effectiveness of HWC in promoting behavioral changes with high impact in health parameters and quality of life. CONCLUSIONS: HWC was effective once the new eating pattern and weight loss achieved during the process were maintained in the medium term after the end of the sessions.