• Philip B May and Rif S El-Mallakh.
• Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, Kentucky.
• South. Med. J. 2024 Sep 1; 117 (9): 529533529-533.

ObjectivesAdults with intellectual disabilities will frequently experience sedentary behavior and excessive weight, which may cause or exacerbate a multitude of medical and behavioral problems. This study examined a program to encourage increased activity and weight loss in an outpatient service for adults with intellectual disabilities.MethodsBehavioral methods were used to treat obesity in 33 male and 21 female adults with intellectual disabilities for a mean of 9 months. They were retrospectively analyzed to determine the effects of treatment on muscle and adiposity using body composition analysis.ResultsThe 54 participants of the original 122 (44.3%) who did not drop out were divided into three groups: weight loss ≥3 kg/3% (n = 20, 37%), weight loss <3 kg/3% (n = 17, 31.5%), and no weight loss or weight gain (n = 17, 31.5%). Only men and women who lost ≥3 kg/3%, demonstrated significant gain of relative muscle mass. Those who gained weight lost muscle mass.ConclusionsIf motivation remains high and follow-up is reasonably long, then a multicomponent obesity treatment program can lead to significant weight loss with preservation of muscle in adults with intellectual disabilities.

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