Healthy Weight Loss
Case Report
Patient data
Age: 57 years
Gender: male
Height: 1.54 m
Initial weight: 99.25 kg
Initial BMI: 41.80 kg/m²
Final weight: 67.85 kg
Final BMI: 28.60 kg/m²
Medical history / diagnosis
A 57 year-old man with type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome came for nutrition counseling with the aim of losing weight and improving health. In addition to Metformin to regulate blood sugar level, the patient was also having to take Vocado and Bisoprolol to reduce blood pressure. The diet was altered to a reduced-calorie mixed-food diet and combined with a higher level of daily activity following a return to work after extended sick leave (slipped disk).
Graphs of measuring results
Weight
Weight was reduced by 31.00 kg in just over a year. Weight loss was continuous.
- November 7, 2012: 99.25 kg
- January 9, 2013: 91.85 kg
- March 13, 2013: 83.90 kg
- September 11, 2013: 67.85 kg
Summary
Reducing weight made it possible to reduce medication, improve the metabolic situation and thus achieve the therapy objective.
Measurement of body composition using the seca mBCA underlines the positive course of the treatment. The ideal weight reduction becomes especially clear in the body composition chart (BCC). The patient lost 31.00 kg in just over a year. This weight loss was accompanied by a comparatively small loss in skeletal muscle mass (2.80 kg) and a dramatic reduction in relative fat mass (22.30 %). The small loss in skeletal muscle mass and significant loss of fat mass make it possible to speak of healthy weight loss in this instance.
The patient was able to improve his metabolic situation by means of a healthy reduction in weight in terms of fat mass (something which can be assessed using the mBCA).
Unhealthy Weight Loss
Case Report
Patient data
Age: 37 years
Gender: female
Height: 1.76 m
Initial weight: 146.40 kg
Initial BMI: 47.30 kg/m²
Final weight: 125.70 kg
Final BMI: 40.60 kg/m²
Medical history / diagnosis
A 37 year-old woman with type 2 diabetes and severe overweight (BMI 47.30 kg/m²) has elevated glycohemoglobin (HbA1c) values: 9.50 %. In the course of a routine diabetic clinic examination, the patient is advised to increase her physical activity while simultaneously changing her eating habits, with the aim of normalizing her HbA1c value by these means.
Graphs of measuring results
Weight
The patient lost over 20.00 kg in just under 2.5 months.
- December 4, 2012: 146.40 kg
- January 14, 2013: 131.70 kg
- February 26, 2013: 125.70 kg
Summary
The therapy objective was achieved by reducing the HbA1c value.
Measurement of body composition with the seca mBCA, however, shows that weight loss was too quick and must be classified as unhealthy due to the considerable loss in muscle mass. The reduced basal metabolic rate associated with this presents a risk of weight being regained rapidly (yo-yo effect). The seca mBCA is thus the ideal monitoring tool for discovering such irregularities in cases where therapy appears to have been successful.
The information gained from this example is that the focus of the therapy objective has to be extended beyond the HbA1c value. For continued treatment, the issue of maintaining muscle mass, i.e. increased activity, needs to be addressed in addition to changing eating habits.
Measuring body composition over the course of time with the seca mBCA allows an unhealthy weight loss to be discovered; this needs correcting with appropriate measures as treatment continues.