Initial work tolerance of extremely obese patients.

Initial work tolerance (walking) of 16 extremely obese (133 to 238 kg) patients entering a multidisciplinary rehabilitation program was low, as previously reported, but also highly variable. Some were capable of walking one mile nonstop while others required as much as eight weeks of progressive exercise training to reach this goal. Treadmill test - indirect calorimetry results indicate that patients required approximately 20 minutes to walk one mile at their fastest pace (3 mph), displayed near steady state aerobic metabolism and expended approximately 150 to 200 net kcal/mile. Patients were screened for abnormal cardiac responses to work using graded exercise test procedures with electrocardiography and there were no apparent hazardous episodes during rehabilitative training.