How can I tell if I have obesity? The important distinction for people to make is that an individual is not obese, they have obesity. Obesity is not part of a person’s identity; it is a disease to overcome. Body Mass Index (BMI) is a practical way to evaluate whether your weight is appropriate for your height. We tend to label the BMI 18.5-24.9 category as ‘Healthy’ rather than ‘Normal’ as people with obesity can be sensitive to the implication that they are abnormal if they are outside this range (and since the majority of Australians have BMI >24.9 this has become the new ‘normal’). <18.5 18.5-24.9 25-29.9 30-34.9 35< UNDERWEIGHT HEALTHY OVERWEIGHT OBESITY SEVERE OBESITY 160 170 180 190 200 CM What can I do about it? Fortunately, obesity can be treated. Weight loss can reverse most of the damage done by obesity. For people with severe obesity, diet, exercise and lifestyle intervention typically causes sustained weight loss of between 5 to 10% of excess weight. Sustained weight loss of more than 5% of initial body weight is regarded as a good medical result. For example, an average height female weighing 150 kilograms who achieves a sustained weight loss of kilograms would be considered to have a good medical result. However, this amount of weight loss is not likely to significantly reduce her medical co-morbidities. The American National Institutes of Health (NIH) has reported that people with severe obesity are resistant to sustaining weight loss achieved by the traditional recommendation of reducing calories and increasing exercise. Indeed, the NIH has recognised that bariatric surgery is the only effective long-term treatment for severe obesity. Gastric sleeve and gastric bypass surgery typically produce sustained weight loss of between 60-80% of excess weight. For an average height female weighing 150kg, this How is obesity affecting my health? Out of ten people with obesity, eight people will develop one of the following obesity related co-morbidities and six people will develop at least three: would be weight loss of between 51 to 68 kilograms. Some patients achieve and sustain 100% excess weight loss. The exceptionally high reduction in morbidity and mortality that results from weight loss surgery is due to the improvement or resolution of obesity-related disease. The benefit to the health system is that bariatric surgery also reduces the cost of managing these obesity related disease. Researchers in the United Kingdom found insurers fully recovered the cost of bariatric surgery within two to four years as patients became healthier and had fewer medical problems. Bariatric surgery is a tool that is most effective when combined with a comprehensive treatment plan delivered by a multi-disciplinary team. At the Surgical Weight Loss Centre, Dr Jordaan heads an-established team of dietitians, psychologist, nurses, anaesthetists and medical specialists to support their patients through an intensive two-year programme followed by annual reviews for life, to ensure excellent long-term patient results. KG 160 120 100 80 60 40 Type 2 Diabetes Heart disease Stroke Cholesterol problems High blood pressure Chronic kidney disease Respiratory disease Obstructive Sleep Apnoea Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome Infertility Osteoarthritis Fatty liver Heartburn and reflux Cancer – particularly breast, bowel, liver, kidney, prostate or endometrial Depression Blood clots Gall stones Abdominal hernias pindaramagazine.com.au Pindara Magazine 55
Pindara Private Hospital Magazine - Issue Eight
To see the actual publication please follow the link above