iPedia Free Information Center

Information about Bariatrics

This article or section may deal primarily with the U.S. and may not present a worldwide view.
Bariatrics is the branch of medicine that deals with the causes, prevention, and treatment of obesity.[1] The term bariatrics was created around 1965,[2] from the Greek root baro ("weight," as in barometer) and suffix -iatrics ("a branch of medicine," as in pediatrics). Besides the pharmacotherapy of obesity, it is concerned with obesity surgery.

Overweight and obesity are rising medical problems of pandemic proportions.[3][4] There are many detrimental health effects of obesity:[5] heart disease, diabetes, many types of cancer, asthma, obstructive sleep apnea, chronic musculoskeletal problems, etc. There is also a clear effect of obesity on mortality, though this is not so clear for those who are overweight.[6]

Diagnosis

Although not a Direct measure of body fat, the Body Mass Index is widely adopted and promoted as a marker for excess body weight.[7] However, it is not flawless: a very muscular person may be assessed as obese, and an elderly person with low body weight but high body fat (this can happen due to low muscle mass and bone density) may be assessed as healthy. Other markers for the evaluation of obesity include waist circumference (associated with central obesity), and a patient's risk factors for diseases and conditions associated with obesity.[8] Besides these indirect methods, body fat can also be measured directly.

General aspects of treatment

Although diet, exercise, behavior therapy and anti-obesity drugs are first-line treatment,[8] medical therapy for severe obesity has limited short-term success and almost nonexistent long-term success.[10] Therefore, obesity surgery (or bariatric surgery) has been a popular treatment in the war against obesity. Weight loss surgery generally results in greater weight loss than conventional treatment, and leads to improvements in quality of life and obesity related diseases such as hypertension and diabetes.[11]

Before someone can become eligible for bariatric surgery, certain criteria must be met.[10] The basic criteria are an understanding of the operation and the lifestyle changes the patient will need to make, and either:[13]
  • a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or more, which is about 45 kg (100 pounds) overweight for men and 35 kg (80 pounds) for women; or
  • a BMI between 35 and 39.9 and a serious obesity-related health problem such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, or severe sleep apnea (when breathing stops for short periods during sleep)
Past studies found that 10 percent to 20 percent of bariatric surgery patients had complications while they were in the hospital. In 2006, federal researchers found that 39.6 percent of patients had complications within 180 days of surgery. The most common complications are About 7% of patients were readmitted to the hospital within 6 months to treat complications specific to the bariatric procedure.

There were 212 in-hospital deaths out of an estimated 104,702 adults who underwent obesity surgery in 2003, or a rate of 0.2 per cent.[14][15]

The prevalence of extreme obesity (body mass index > or = 40 kg/m²) in the United States in 2003-2004 was 2.8% in men and 6.9% in women.[16] This suggests millions of people are in the weight range for potential therapy with bariatric surgery. Laparoscopic surgery has become an important addition to this field of surgery, and demand soars, amidst scientific and ethical questions.[17] The number of Americans having weight-loss surgery more than quadrupled between 1998 and 2002—from 13,386 to 71,733—according to a study by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.[18]

Surgical procedures

Main article: Bariatric surgery
There are a number of surgical options available to treat obesity, each with their advantages and pitfalls. In general, weight reduction can be accomplished, but one must consider operative risk (including mortality) and side effects. Usually, these procedures can be carried out safely.[19] Procedures can be grouped in three main categories:[20]

Anti-obesity drugs

Main article: Anti-obesity drug


If diet and exercise are ineffective alone, anti-obesity drugs are a choice for some patients. Prescription weight loss drugs are recommended only for short-term use, and thus are of limited usefulness for extremely obese patients, who may need to reduce weight over months or years.

Footnotes

1. ^ The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 4th edition, Houghton (2000): "Bariatrics" Retrived 14 Feb. 2006
2. ^ Dictionary.com, based on Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Random House (2006): [1] Retrieved 15 Apr. 2006
3. ^ Reynolds K, He J. Epidemiology of the metabolic syndrome.Am J Med Sci 2005;330:273-9. PMID 16355011
4. ^ Hedley AA, Ogden CL, Johnson CL, et al. 2004. Prevalence of overweight and obesity among US children, adolescents, and adults, 1999–2002. JAMA ; 291: 2847–50. PMID 15199035
5. ^ WHO factsheet on obesity
6. ^ Flegal KM, Graubard BI, Williamson DF, Gail MH. Excess deaths associated with underweight, overweight, and obesity. JAMA 2005; 293: 1861-7.
7. ^ Obesity: preventing and managing the global epidemic. Geneva, World Health Organization] (WHO Technical Report Series, No. 894).]
8. ^ Clinical Guidelines on the Identification, Evaluation, and Treatment of Overweight and Obesity in Adults, The Evidence Report. NIH Publication NO. 98-4083, september 1998. NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute in cooperation with The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
9. ^ Clinical Guidelines on the Identification, Evaluation, and Treatment of Overweight and Obesity in Adults, The Evidence Report. NIH Publication NO. 98-4083, september 1998. NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute in cooperation with The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney diseases.
10. ^ Gastrointestinal surgery for severe obesity: National Institutes of Health Consensus Development Conference Statement. Am J Clin Nutr 1992;55(S2):615S-619S. PMID 1733140
11. ^ Colquitt J, Clegg A, Sidhu M, Royle P. Surgery for morbid obesity. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2003; 2: CD003641. PMID 12804481
12. ^ Gastrointestinal surgery for severe obesity: National Institutes of Health Consensus Development Conference Statement. Am J Clin Nutr 1992;55(S2):615S-619S. PMID 1733140
13. ^ Gastrointestinal surgery for severe obesity. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health. NIH Publication No. 04-4006, December 2004.
14. ^ Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality: Obesity Surgery Complication Rates Higher Over Time. Press Release, July 24, 2006. Retrieved July 24, 2006
15. ^ Encinosa WE, Bernard DM, Chen CC, Steiner CA (2006). "Healthcare utilization and outcomes after bariatric surgery" (Abstract). Medical Care 44(8): 706-12. Retrieved on 2006-08-08. 
16. ^ Ogden CL, Carroll MD, Curtin LR, McDowell MA, Tabak CJ, Flegal KM. Prevalence of overweight and obesity in the United States, 1999-2004. JAMA 2006; 295:1549-55. PMID 16595758
17. ^ Mitka M. Surgery for obesity: demand soars amid scientific, ethical questions. JAMA 2003; 289: 1761-2.
18. ^ Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality: AHRQ Study Finds Weight-loss Surgeries Quadrupled in Five Years. Press Release, July 12, 2005 Retrieved July 24, 2006
19. ^ Nguyen NT et al. Result of a national audit of bariatric surgery performed at academic centers: a 2004 University HealthSystem Consortium Benchmarking Project. Arch Surg 2006; 141: 445-9. PMID 16702515
20. ^ Abell TL, Minocha A. Gastrointestinal complications of bariatric surgery: diagnosis and therapy. Am J Med Sci 2006;331: 214-8.

External links

Motto
"In God We Trust"   (since 1956)
"E Pluribus Unum"   ("From Many, One"; Latin, traditional)
Anthem
..... Click the link for more information.
Medicine is the science and "" of maintaining and/or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of patients. The term is derived from the Latin ars medicina meaning the art of healing.
..... Click the link for more information.
Obesity
Classification & external resources

Silhouettes representing healthy, overweight, and obese.
ICD-10 E 66.
ICD-9 278

DiseasesDB 9099
MedlinePlus 003101
eMedicine med/1653  

MeSH C23.888.144.699.
..... Click the link for more information.
19th century - 20th century - 21st century
1930s  1940s  1950s  - 1960s -  1970s  1980s  1990s
1962 1963 1964 - 1965 - 1966 1967 1968

Year 1965 (MCMLXV
..... Click the link for more information.
Greek}}} 
Writing system: Greek alphabet 
Official status
Official language of:  Greece
 Cyprus
 European Union
recognised as minority language in parts of:
 European Union
 Italy
 Turkey
Regulated by:
..... Click the link for more information.
A barometer is an instrument used to measure atmospheric pressure. It can measure the pressure exerted by the atmosphere by using water, air, or mercury. Pressure tendency can forecast short term changes in the weather.
..... Click the link for more information.
An affix is a morpheme that is attached to a base morpheme such as a root or to a stem, to form a word. Affixes may be derivational, like English -ness and pre-, or inflectional, like English plural -s and past tense -ed.
..... Click the link for more information.
Pediatrics (also spelled paediatrics) is the branch of medicine that deals with the medical care of infants, children, and adolescents (from newborn to age 14-21, depending on the country).
..... Click the link for more information.
Pharmacotherapy is the practice of treating diseases with medication.

See also

  • Pharmacology
  • Medicinal chemistry
  • Pharmaceutical company

External links

  • The Annals of Pharmacotherapy

..... Click the link for more information.
overweight is generally used to indicate that a human has more body fat than is considered useful for the optimal functioning of the body. Being overweight is a fairly common condition for many people, especially those in developed nations where food supplies are plentiful and
..... Click the link for more information.
Obesity
Classification & external resources

Silhouettes representing healthy, overweight, and obese.
ICD-10 E 66.
ICD-9 278

DiseasesDB 9099
MedlinePlus 003101
eMedicine med/1653  

MeSH C23.888.144.699.
..... Click the link for more information.
pandemic (from Greek παν pan all + δήμος demos people) is an epidemic that spreads through human populations across a large region (for example a continent), or even worldwide.
..... Click the link for more information.
Heart disease is an umbrella term for a number of different diseases which affect the heart and as of 2007 it is the leading cause of death in the United States.[1]

Types of heart disease

Cardiomyopathy


..... Click the link for more information.
Diabetes mellitus
Classification & external resources

ICD-10 E 10. –E 14.
ICD-9 250

MedlinePlus 001214
eMedicine med/546   emerg/134

MeSH C18.452.394.
..... Click the link for more information.
Editing of this page by unregistered or newly registered users is currently disabled due to vandalism.
If you are prevented from editing this page, and you wish to make a change, please discuss changes on the talk page, request unprotection, log in, or .
..... Click the link for more information.
Asthma
Classification & external resources

ICD-10 J 45.
ICD-9 493

OMIM 600807
DiseasesDB 1006
MedlinePlus 000141
eMedicine med/177   emerg/43

MeSH C08.127.
..... Click the link for more information.
MeSH D012891

Sleep apnea, sleep apnoea or sleep apnœa is a sleep disorder characterized by pauses in breathing during sleep. These episodes, called apneas (literally, "without breath"), each last long enough so one or more breaths are missed, and
..... Click the link for more information.
Death is the permanent end of the life of a biological organism. Death may refer to the end of life as either an event or condition.[1] Many factors can cause or contribute to an organism's death, including predation, disease, habitat destruction, senescence,
..... Click the link for more information.
adipose tissue or fat is loose connective tissue composed of adipocytes. Its main role is to store energy in the form of fat, although it also cushions and insulates the body.
..... Click the link for more information.
Body mass index (BMI) or Quetelet Index is a statistical measure of the weight of a person scaled according to height. It was invented between 1830 and 1850 by the Belgian polymath Adolphe Quetelet during the course of developing "social physics".
..... Click the link for more information.
Central obesity
Classification & external resources

ICD-10 E66
ICD-9 278

Central obesity (or "apple-shaped" or "masculine" obesity) occurs when the main deposits of body fat are localised around the abdomen and the upper body.
..... Click the link for more information.
Dieting is the practice of ingesting food in a regulated fashion to achieve a particular objective. In many cases the goal is weight loss, but some athletes aspire to gain weight (usually in the form of muscle) and diets can also be used to maintain a stable body weight.
..... Click the link for more information.
Physical exercise is manual activity that develops or maintains physical fitness and overall health. It is often practiced to strengthen muscles and the cardiovascular system, and to hone athletic skills.
..... Click the link for more information.
Behavior therapy is a form of psychotherapy used to treat depression, anxiety disorders, phobias, and other forms of psychopathology. Its philosophical roots can be found in the school of behaviorism, which states that psychological matters can be studied scientifically by
..... Click the link for more information.
Anti-obesity drugs include all pharmacological treatments intended to reduce or control weight. Because these drugs are intended to alter one of the fundamental processes of the human body, anti-obesity drugs are medically prescribed only in cases of morbid obesity, where weight
..... Click the link for more information.
All Movie Guide profile
IMDb profile

Quality of Life is a 2004 drama film, telling the fictional story of two graffiti writers in the Mission District of San Francisco.
..... Click the link for more information.
Hypertension
Classification & external resources

ICD-10 I 10. ,I 11. ,I 12. ,
I 13. ,I 15.
ICD-9 401.x

OMIM 145500
DiseasesDB 6330
MedlinePlus 000468
eMedicine med/1106   ped/1097 emerg/267


..... Click the link for more information.
Diabetes mellitus
Classification & external resources

ICD-10 E 10. –E 14.
ICD-9 250

MedlinePlus 001214
eMedicine med/546   emerg/134

MeSH C18.452.394.
..... Click the link for more information.
gastrointestinal tract (GI tract), also called the digestive tract, or the alimentary canal, is the system of organs within multicellular animals that takes in food, digests it to extract energy and nutrients, and expels the remaining waste.
..... Click the link for more information.
The term symptom (from the Greek σύμπτωμα meaning 'chance', 'mishap' or 'casualty', itself derived from συμπιπτω
..... Click the link for more information.


This article is copied from an article on Wikipedia.org - the free encyclopedia created and edited by online user community. The text was not checked or edited by anyone on our staff. Although the vast majority of the wikipedia encyclopedia articles provide accurate and timely information please do not assume the accuracy of any particular article. This article is distributed under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License.
Herod_Archelaus


page counter