Abstract

Purpose. To find out the effect of Mediterranean diet and exercise on weight reduction and their influences on insulin resistance in obese prediabetic postmenopausal women.

Methods. Randomized controlled trial. This study was carried out on 40 obese postmenopausal women with sedentary life and with insulin resistance. They were selected from Cairo University Medical Hospitals and divided randomly into two equal groups; group A, Diet group (n = 20), enrolled on a Mediterranean diet for 12 weeks and group B, Exercise group (n = 20), enrolled on exercise training for 12 weeks. For each patient the weight, height, body mass index (BMI), waist and hip circumferences and ratio and Hemoglobin A1c were estimated and recorded before and after intervention.

Results. After intervention, the Mediterranean diet and exercise groups showed significant weight reduction, lower BMI, waist and hip circumferences and ratio and HbA1c. However, there was significant differences between both groups. Mediterranean diet showed significant reduction in all weight parameters and HbA1c than exercise group.

Conclusion. The Mediterranean diet resulted in better weight reduction and improvement of insulin resistance than exercise in obese prediabetic postmenopausal women.

Key words:

obesity, mediterranean diet, exercise, postmenopausal women, prediabetic women, insulin resistance, waist, and hip circumferences