[Long-term results after therapeutic starvation (author's transl)].

19 Persons with gross refractory obesity (7 men and 12 women) were treated by therapeutic starvation. The patients were controlled after 32 months, on average (range: 7 to 58 months), following completion of treatment. The study shows that 8 of the females gained weight, one of these attaining her pretreatment weight and another even exceeding the pretreatment figure. None of the males had regained his pretreatment weight but 4 showed an increase in comparison with the weight at the time of hospital discharge. During starvation the serum lipids showed a marked decrease, which was statistically significant in the case of cholesterol, but not triglycerides. At the time of follow-up examination the serum lipid values were about the same as before treatment. It is concluded that the long-term results of therapeutic starvation are beter in men than in women and yet this method of treatment should be attempted, when indicated according to strict criteria, in refractory cases of extreme obesity.