Excess weight has long ceased to be an exclusively aesthetic or psychological problem and has acquired global proportions. According to the WHO, more than 2 billion people suffer from it. This is about 30% of the total population of the world.
Patients at different stages of obesity have a high risk of developing diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases, and joint diseases. Specialists of the American Society of Clinical Oncology are also sounding the alarm - overweight people are more often than others diagnosed with the most lethal types of cancer.
Where is the line between being overweight and obese? What are the degrees of obesity and when should I see a doctor? When is obesity surgery optimal? We will deal with all the pressing issues in this article.
What is the danger
Over the past three decades, the prevalence of overweight in the world has increased by 30% and 50% among adults and children, respectively. Losing weight is not just a matter of aesthetics or overcoming psychological complexes. It is a question of quality and longevity.
Extra pounds increase the risks of comorbidities and premature death. So, for example, the risk of cardiovascular mortality increases by 4 times, and mortality from oncology by 2 times. Today, the international medical community views obesity as the most important risk factor:
- cardiovascular diseases (17-23% of cases of coronary heart disease, 17% - hypertension);
- type 2 diabetes mellitus (up to 44-57%);
- gallstone disease (30%);
- osteoarthritis (14%);
- malignant neoplasms (up to 11%).
Obesity is a chronic multifactorial disease that is manifested by the excessive formation of adipose tissue. Usually an energy imbalance leads to it: a person consumes much more calories than he spends . About 95% of patients suffer from the so-called exogenous-constitutional form - it is associated precisely with excessive consumption of calories and low energy expenditure. And only 5% of patients suffer from a secondary (symptomatic) form, develops against the background of other pathologies, for example, endocrine ones.
Obesity is almost always accompanied by specific complications and comorbidities:
- type 2 diabetes mellitus;
- arterial hypertension;
- obstructive sleep apnea syndrome;
- non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
- polycystic ovary syndrome;
- osteoarthritis;
- stress urinary incontinence
- gastroesophageal reflux disease.
In addition, people with extra pounds often suffer from limited mobility and social maladjustment, as well as psycho-emotional disorders through stigmatization of great importance in society.
Obesity: How to Know When It's Time to Act
How to calculate obesity and tolerance limits and overweight? For this, in clinical practice, a special criterion is used - body mass index (BMI). It shows how many kilograms per square meter of area (kg / m²).
To estimate your BMI, you need to divide the weight in kilograms by the height in meters squared. The formula looks like this:
weight (kg) / height (m²) = BMI
(example: 88 kg / 1.7m * 1.7m = 30)
Now compare your result with the data in the table.
bmi
mass characteristic
Risk of comorbidities
<18,5
reduced mass
risks associated with underweight
18,5-25
normal weight
usual
25-30
overweight
increased
30-35
obesity of the I degree
increased
35-40
obesity II degree
high
40-50
morbid obesity of the III degree
extremely high
50-60, 60>
super fat
extremely high
The BMI indicator can be used as a rough estimate. Other indicators are also important - the distribution of adipose tissue, the ratio of muscle to fat, and the like. Therefore, doctors use other methods and indices for diagnosis.
To establish an accurate diagnosis and conduct a comprehensive examination of the body, you need to consult a specialist. The Center for Metabolic Surgery in Kyiv under the guidance of Candidate of Medical Sciences, bariatric surgeon Andrian Reith successfully treats obesity of any degree. You can always seek advice and undergo a complete examination, after which a team of doctors will select the best treatment option.
When surgical treatment of obesity is required
How to get rid of obesity - this question worries many overweight people. If strict diets, exercise and other weight loss methods do not give the desired lasting effect, surgery may be the best option.
Bariatric surgery is a special type of surgical intervention in the gastrointestinal tract that reduces the number of calories consumed by a person and limits their absorption in the intestine.
Obesity treatment in Kiev using bariatric surgery is prescribed in accordance with the values of the body mass index:
- BMI> 40 kg / m2, independent of the presence of other illnesses;
- BMI> 35 kg / m2 due to the presence of symptoms (type 2 diabetes mellitus, arterial hypertension, obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, degenerative pathology).
Andrian Reitis` comment
PhD in Medicine,
Chief Surgeon of the Center for Metabolic Surgery
Today, there are many effective surgical methods for weight loss. They allow you to lose extra pounds, improve quality of life, minimize the risk of death from comorbidities.
Surgical treatment of obesity 1, 2, and 3 degrees is carried out under the condition of ineffectiveness of previously performed conservative measures - insufficient weight loss, re-gain, insufficient compensation of concomitant pathology. After bariatric surgery and subject to all the recommendations of the doctor, the result will be stable and long-lasting.
The team of doctors of our Center works with patients aged 18 to 64 years. We perform restrictive operations (aimed at reducing the volume of the stomach, which allows you to reduce the amount of food) and shunting operations (thanks to them, along with reducing the portion of food from the digestive process eliminates the small intestine and reduces the area of nutrient absorption).Restrictive surgeries include, for example, bandaging and SLEEVE gastrectomy for obesity. To shunts - minigastro shunting, Ru gastroshunting, biliopancreatic shunting operation SADI-S. Gastro shunting combines restrictive and shunting effects.
The recovery period after bariatric surgery is short - literally in 2-3 days the patient can be discharged from the hospital and return home.
The choice of surgical intervention depends on the stage, comorbidities and eating behavior. You will learn all the details of the preparation for the operation, the surgery itself and the rehabilitation period at the doctor's consultation. The specialist will tell you how to get rid of obesity, offer effective techniques and prescribe all the necessary tests (blood tests, ultrasound, ECG, etc.).
Surgical treatment of obesity is not always possible. The list of contraindications includes:
- inability of the patient to follow long-term recommendations for lifestyle changes;
- exacerbation of peptic ulcer of the stomach and duodenum;
- pregnancy and breastfeeding;
- oncology;
- tuberculosis;
- mental disorders (severe depression, psychosis, substance abuse, bulimia nervosa);
- irreversible changes in vital organs (liver, kidney failure, etc.).
Obesity surgery in the modern organization of metabolic surgery of Andriana Reiti is innovative and safe approaches to operations, high-quality equipment and full information support during the rehabilitation period. A team of surgeons, nutritionists, psychologists works with each patient before and after the operation. You will be under the constant supervision of experienced professionals.
Obesity is not a death sentence, an operation at the Metabolic Surgery Center is your chance for a healthy, full and long life without extra pounds. If you are overweight, do not postpone your visit to the doctor "for later". The sooner you start to act, the easier and faster you will achieve the desired result. Sign up for a consultation - take the first step into a new life!