1. There is talk of an almost epidemic growth of obesity, is it a big deal?
It is not an exaggeration. According to WHO data in 50 years has tripled the number of people with obesity. In the world, more than 40% of adults have some degree of overweight and obesity. It is a disease that causes more than 2.8 million deaths per year globally.
2. Why can’t this problem be controlled?
Due to the lifestyle of the population in the developed world, where the sedentary lifestyle and the consumption of unhealthy foods. In our country it affects -either obesity or overweight- the 53.6% of Spaniards according to the Nutritional Study of the Spanish Population (EMPE).
3. In what age bracket is it increasing the most?
The prevalence in children and adolescents it has increased at an alarming rate, and if nothing is done to address it, changing the rate of obesity in adulthood will be a very difficult, if not impossible, task.
4. What are the consequences?
On the one hand, people with obesity have a higher risk of stigma by society, as well as suffering from anxiety and depression. On the other hand, they are more likely to develop diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, fatty liver, sleep apnea, osteoarthritis, musculoskeletal disorders, etc. Also different kinds of cancer such as, for example, the breast, ovary, prostate, liver, kidney or colon, among others. In addition, they live with less quality and life expectancy.
5. Are there new treatments?
From a medical point of view, treatments have advanced in the last decade with the appearance of anti-obesity drugs and new techniques endoscopy and bariatric surgery that greatly reduce the risk of complications and improve the long-term results of these procedures.
6. Do you find differences by Autonomous Communities?
yes and unfortunately Andalusia It is in the first places, both in the adult and child population.
7. The Center of Excellence in the Treatment of Obesity at the Quirónsalud Sagrado Corazón Hospital in Seville was the first hospital-based Obesity Unit to receive accreditation from the Spanish Society for the Study of Obesity (Seedo). What requirements must be met to obtain it?
You must meet at least 11 of the 13 criteria stipulated to hold this Seedo recognition. The Spanish Society for the Study of Obesity is a multidisciplinary scientific society focused on the study, dissemination, training of health professionals, prevention and treatment of all relevant aspects related to excess weight problems. The criteria are based on technical requirements related to the medical and surgical requirement in the comprehensive treatment of obesity. These requirements demand the multidisciplinary composition of the team, as well as its clinical and research experience, and the provision of the necessary material resources for an adequate evaluation and treatment of patients suffering from obesity.
8. What has this important recognition meant for the team?
It is the first Hospital Obesity Unit that receives this accreditation in Andalusia, adding to the thirteen accredited units nationwide. This recognition is a collective satisfaction for the team after almost a decade working in a multidisciplinary way and integrating the latest knowledge and advances in the treatment of obesity. We knew the necessary requirements to achieve it, we have worked in this line and we hoped to be able to achieve it, so obtaining it has been the point and after several months of work that we will continue to continue offering the quality service that characterizes us.
9. What professional profiles make up this center?
It brings together a team of experts made up of both surgeons, endocrine, digestive or dietitians-nutritionists even by psychologists and graduates in Physical Education. The objective is to offer the patient a comprehensive, multidisciplinary and personalized solution of his pathology.
10. What kind of patients can come and what will they find if they decide to go?
At the center we treat all kinds of cases, from being slightly overweight to morbidly obese. We have different programs so that we can offer non-surgical treatments, of different durations depending on the weight or more advanced surgical treatments. Patients will find an experienced and innovative unit specializing in obesity, which integrates all the necessary elements to be able to offer individualized treatments of the highest medical and surgical quality. From the endocrine point of view, we study patients in depth, assessing all the inherent comorbidities to obesity and proposing adequate treatment and control for them, prior to surgery in case of being a candidate; or for the medical treatment of obesity if applicable. From the area of nutrition, we teach them to eat differently. We assess body composition to assess progression, which, together with the study of basal metabolismallows us to design a personalized diet more effective.
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