Author(s)

Flávia Sales Leite, Marcela Cangussu Barbalho-Moulim, Kadma Karenina Damaceno Soares, Fernanda Dultra Dias, Fabiana Sobral Peixoto-Souza, Dirceu Costa

UFSCar—Federal University of S?o Carlos, S?o Carlos, Brazil.
Uninove—Nove de Julho University, S?o Paulo, Brazil;.

Introduction: Obesity has been considered a global epidemic and a serious public health problem closely related to other diseases. Moreover, obese individuals have limitations in physical capacity and pulmonary function. Weight loss induced by bariatric surgery appears to help reverse this situation. However, questions about physical capacity and lung function, and its relationship with body composition remain to be clarified. Objective: To evaluate the physical capacity, body composition and lung function in women undergoing bariatric surgery. Methods: Twenty five women who underwent bariatric surgery between 6 and 24 months ago, and 10 non-obese women were evaluated for exercise capacity by the six minutes walk test (6 MWT), body composition by bio-electrical impedance analysis and lung function by spirometry and measurement of maximal static respiratory pressures. Results: Subjects with BMI <30 kg/m² were found to have better physical performance, demonstrated by increased 6 MWT distance, not differing from non-obese women. When compared with non-obese women, there were no significant differences in body composition and lung function. Higher BMI was correlated with shorter distances in 6 MWT. Conclusion: 6 to 24 months after surgery, when the weight loss of patients who underwent bariatric surgery reaches levels considered non-obese, it provides improvement in physical performance to a level similar to that of non-obese patients.

Obesity; Bariatric Surgery; Exercise; Spirometry; Muscle Strength

Leite, F. , Barbalho-Moulim, M. , Damaceno Soares, K. , Dultra Dias, F. , Peixoto-Souza, F. and Costa, D. (2013) Evaluation of functional capacity, body composicion and pulmonary function after bariatric surgery. Health, 5, 47-53. doi: 10.4236/health.2013.58A3007.