Inclusion and exclusion criteria
The inclusion criteria were: adult and elderly patients with a BMI ≥
27kg/m² who failed to lose weight in clinical well conducted treatments
of overweight/obesity. The exclusion criteria were adolescents, patients
with obesity of hormonal or genetic causes, alcohol or illicit drug
abusers, those with a known malignancy and pregnant women.
A preliminary interview established medical history, including previous
attempts to lose weight, co-morbidities, and the impact of their
obesity, both socially and psychologically.