Abstract: Objective To study the influence of obesity on outcome of rehabilitation for the hemiplegic post stroke. Methods 118 hospitalized stroke patients were divided into the normal weight, overweight and obesity groups according to the Body Mass Index. All the patients received rehabilitation for 12 weeks. They were assessed with National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA), Berg Balance Scale (BBS) and modified Barthel Index (MBI) before and after rehabilitation. Results The scores of NIHSS, FMA, BBS and MBI improved significantly after rehabilitation in all the groups (P<0.001), and improved the lest in the obesity group in the scores of NIHSS, BBS and MBI (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in FMA score among groups (P>0.05). Conclusion Obesity influences the outcome of rehabilitation, results in poor functioning.

Key words: stroke, obesity, rehabilitation, motor function, activities of daily living, balance