Battle of the Bariatrics

It’s no secret. The world has an overweight problem - and it needs to be treated.

Mexico has now overtaken the United States as the world’s most obese country - but not because the United States has slimmed down, rather Mexicans have simply managed to put on more weight.  

In fact almost every nation globally has seen a dramatic increase in obesity in adults and children alike since the 1970s.1 People have literally doubled in size over the last 40 years. The health implications of this globally means more diabetes, heart disease, and osteoarthritis - and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

What is so complex about treating obesity is that there is no single approach for helping patients. What works for one person may not work for another. The patient’s willingness and ability to change their lifestyle has an immense impact on the success of treatment.

We also must consider how obesity impacts longevity as well as quality of life. Every year, over 2.5 million deaths globally can be attributed to obesity. In the US alone that is 400,000 deaths per year, which is secondary only to deaths attributed to smoking. Life expectancy for the morbidly obese population is reduced by 9 years for women and 12 years for men.2

Many bariatric procedures have been introduced, but none can be considered a standard procedure that can be used to treat all patients suffering from obesity. Each patient’s profile should be considered individually and a plan for treatment should be tailored to their specific needs.

Unfortunately many healthcare and insurance companies try to make blanket decisions about treating obesity and even reject many applicants who could indeed benefit from a surgical bariatric procedure. That is one of the main reasons so many individuals have reached out to Medical Travel Czech Republic for help.

Stop battling, take control of your future, and let us help you to devise an obesity treatment plan that is tailored to your needs.

Sources:

1 - http://frac.org/initiatives/hunger-and-obesity/obesity-in-the-us/
2 - http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/34/Supplement_2/S361.full