Fifty obese women with a body mass index (BMI) over 25 kg/m(2) were randomly allocated into two groups, 25 in each. Group 1, with a mean (+/-SEM) age of 40.0+/-2 years, received water soluble calcium hydroxycitrate (HCA) as Garcinia atroviridis. Group 2, with a mean age of 35.6+/-1.8 years, received placebo. All subjects were recommended a similar diet with 1000 Kcal/day. The trial lasted for 2 months. At baseline the means BMI of Group 1 and Group 2 were 27.5+/-0.2 kg/m(2) and 26.7+/-0.5 kg/m(2), respectively. Group 1 lost significantly more weight (2.8 vs. 1.4 kg, p<0.05) and at a greater rate than Group 2 throughout the study. The decrease in their body weight was due to a loss of fat storage as evidenced by a significant decrease in the triceps skin fold thickness. On a short-term basis, HCA in Garcinia atroviridis was an effective for weight management.