Amanda dos Santos Moraes, Ricardo da Costa Padovani, Cauê Vazquez La Scala Teixeira, Maria Gabriela Soria Cuesta, Silvandro dos Santos Gil, Bárbara de Paula, Gilberto Monteiro dos Santos, Rodrigo Tributino Gonçalves, Ana Raimunda Dâmaso, Lila Missae Oyama, Ricardo José Gomes and Danielle Arisa Caranti

• Post Graduate Program of Interdisciplinary Health Sciences, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
• Obesity Study Group (GEO), Post-Graduate Program of Nutrition, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
• Health, Education and Society Department, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
• Post Graduate Program of Food, Nutrition, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
• Graduate Program of Interdisciplinary Health Sciences, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
• Institute of Mathematical and Computer Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Carlos, Brazil
• Biosciences Department, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

Our aim was to analyze and compare the effects of three different long-term treatments on anthropometric profiles, eating behaviors, anxiety and depression levels, and quality of life of groups of adults with obesity.

Methods: The 43 participants in the study were randomly assigned to one of three groups: the education and health group (EH, n = 12), which received lectures on health topics; the physical exercise group (PE, n = 13), which underwent physical training; and the interdisciplinary therapy plus cognitive behavioral therapy (IT + CBT) (n = 18) group, which received physical training, nutritional advice, and physical and psychological therapy.

Results: Total quality of life increased significantly in the EH group (△ = 2.00); in the PE group, body weight significantly decreased (△ = −1.42) and the physical domain of quality of life improved (△ = 1.05). However, the most significant changes were seen in the IT + CBT group, in which the anthropometric profile improved; there were an increase in quality of life in all domains (physical, psychological, social, and environmental), an improvement in eating behaviors [Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire (DEBQ), total △ = −8.39], and a reduction in depression [Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), △ = −10.13).

Conclusion: The IT + CBT program was more effective than the PE and EH programs.

Clinical Trial Registration Number: NCT02573688.

https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2021.611217