ADAPT measured improvement in physical function, pain and mobility in 252 randomized participants, all age 60 or older, who were overweight, sedentary and had knee pain or knee osteoarthritis. The participants were divided into one of four groups: exercise only, dietary weight loss only, dietary weight loss plus exercise, and the control group called healthy lifestyle.

The exercise group did aerobic and resistance activities for one hour, three times a week. The diet group attended regular meetings on changing their eating habits and reducing calories in their diets. The combination group, where the most improvement was measured, participated in both programs. The healthy lifestyle group attended classes on weight loss and exercise, but did not participate in the programs.

We suggest that the combination of diet plus exercise produces consistently better and clinically relevant improvements in physical function compared with diet or exercise alone, Messier said.

ADAPT was paid for by a grant from the National Institute of Aging as part of the Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center of Wake Forest University.