Background: Overweight and obesity are becoming more and more relevant for armed forces in westernized countries, especially with respect to the impact on recruitment and soldiers' performance. The German Armed Forces have been organizing a Military Obesity Intervention Program (OIP) in Warendorf, Germany, since 2001. In addition to the existing outpatient program, a course version was offered. This course version is of interest since it offers a potential alternative to outpatient programs.
Objective: To analyse the results obtained from the course version of the OIP and comparing these to other OIPs.
Methods: Retrospective analysis of the course version of the OIP, starting in 2001, based on an intention-to-treat analysis.
Results: 334 participants showed significant improvement (p < 0.05) in bodyweight (-3.4±6.6 kg), body mass index (-1.0±2.0 kg/m2), waist circumference (-3.8±6.4 cm), systolic and diastolic blood pressure (-5.6±18.0/-3.3±12.8 mm Hg), physical capacity (+11.4±32.6 Watt), total cholesterol (-0.16±0.94 mmol/l), HDL (+0.04±0.23 mmol/l), LDL (-0.16±0.80 mmol/l), uric acid (-31.2±69.3 μmol/l) and hemoglobin A1c (-0.13±0.52%). The entire OIP course was completed by 180 participants (53.9%). 27.5% of all 334 participants had reduced their body weight by 5% or more during their participation in the OIP.
Conclusions: In this specific OIP only a small number of obese patients reduced their bodyweight, even though the examined parameters improved significantly. Therefore, greater efforts need to be undertaken in order to prevent overweight and obesity in the military in addition to the implemented obesity intervention programs.
Keywords: Military; body mass index; overweight; physical capacity.