Background: This study was to examine the effects of walking exercise program on BMI, percentage of body fat and mood state for women with obesity, and to apply this exercise program to the treatment and the promotion of health maintenance of obese women as a exercise treatment.
Methods: The participants of this pre-experimental study were 20 obese women with BMI over 25 who visited health examination center of a Yongdong Severance Hospital in Seoul. Data were collected for 2 months from September to November, 2003. BMI, percentage of body fat, and mood state were measured before and after the walking exercise program for 8 weeks. BMI and percentage of body fat were measured and mood state was measured using The Line Analogue Self Assessment (LASA) which consisted of 6 category of The Profile of Mood State (POMS) - fatigue, anxiety, confusion, depression, energy and anger. The walking exercise program for 8 weeks included the fast-walking exercise of 6,000~7,000 steps per hour by using step counter, for more than 40 minutes per every exercise and more than 4 times per week, and the telephone counselling once a week and the writing up of daily exercise log.
Results: The results of this study were as follows: 1) With administration of this program, BMI showed the significant decrease statistically from 26.21±1.45 to 25.04±1.49 (p < 0.05). So, the walking exercise program had an effect on the decrease of BMI for women with obesity. 2) Percentage of body fat showed the significant decrease statistically from 36.13±3.20% to 33.15±2.90% (p < 0.05), and it also had an effect on the decrease of percentage of body fat for them. 3) To analyse the effect of this program on mood state for them, the sub-indices (fatigue, anxiety, confusion, depression, energy and anger) were compared before and after the program. There was no significant difference statistically.
Conclusion: According to the results of this study, the walking exercise program as a exercise treatment had an effect on the decrease of BMI, percentage of body fat for women with obesity. However, the program did not prove the statistical significance for the change of mood state.

Keywords: Walking exercise program, Women with obesity, BMI, Percentage of body fat, Mood state