BARIATRIC SURGERY
Inserting a gastric band to inhibit appe- tite and reduce food consumption has become a mainstream solution since it was recognised by NICE in 2002. The NHS has a framework whereby people are assessed to show they are committed to change and then have to engage in a year long programme before surgery. Even then, however, it can be diffi cult to assess who’ll do well and who won’t, according to con- sultant bariatric surgeon at Nuffi eld Health Leeds hospital, Simon Baxter. “It’s not a magic bullet, but it can kickstart a healthy lifestyle. The ben- efi ts last for around three months, so people have to change their lifestyles to receive long term weightloss and health benefi ts,” says Baxter. Studies show bariatric procedures cause signifi cant long-term loss of weight, recovery in diabetes, improve- ment in cardiovascular risk factors and a reduction in mortality of 23 per cent from 40 per cent. Baxter says studies are showing bar- iatric surgery shows a rapid return on healthcare costs. “If someone has
ISSUE 3 2014 © cybertrek 2014
a co-morbidity, such as diabetes, it can be cheaper to operate on them than pay for the ongoing medical sup- port,” he says. “The other thing is that severely obese people often don’t work, whereas after surgery they may go back to meaningful work, pay taxes and contribute to the economy.” While it can help, Baxter adds that this approach is only scratching the surface of the problem of obesity.
MEDICATION
Obesity medication can lessen appe- tite, make people feel full sooner, or making it harder for the body to absorb the fat from food. However, the drugs have some undesirable side effects, including stomach pain, diarrhoea, con- stipation, headaches, dizziness and insomnia. The chance that the side effects may outweigh the benefi ts is of great concern and they are only pre- scribed for serious health issues. However, if a pill could be found that
was effective in bringing about weight loss without side effects, it could pro- vide a solution which most people and GPs would prefer to use.
Surgery and medication are used only in cases where people are suffering severe health issues
Whatever the answer, the clock is
ticking. Food and drinks companies will continue to keep pumping glucose syrup into products until governments fi nd they are spending more on treat- ing obesity than they recoup from taxes and other economic benefi ts from these companies. Nations will continue to get fatter and health services will fi nd it increasingly diffi cult to cope. In the meantime, any help in terms of education and the promotion of healthy lifestyles is of value, as many people are worryingly ignorant about the causes and dangers of obesity. According to research by Nuffi eld Health, which ques- tioned 3,100 UK adults, many obese people think they are just overweight and don’t realise they’re putting their health at risk. Of those questioned, 44 per cent said they had no concerns that they were putting themselves at risk of serious illness or premature death as a result of their weight issues. ●
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