How Obesity is Changing the Healthcare Industry
So what does being admitted to hospital for obesity mean? A spokesman from the National Health Service Information Center told the UK's Daily Telegraph:
Being admitted for obesity usually means that patients have multiple problems which are linked to them being morbidly obese, or that they are being given weight loss surgery.
In cases where patients have a BMI of over 50, surgery is considered the "first line" response. (A "healthy" BMI is 20-25, "overweight" 25-30 and "obese" 30+)
In addition to the cost involved in treating obese patients, hospitals have also had to buy larger beds, wheelchairs and other equipment. (See Why Increase Hospital Equipment Size For Obese Patients?)
It's uncertain whether the rise in hospital admissions for obesity is because of an increase rate of morbid obesity, or because of a better detection and treatment of obesity-related problems.
Obesity is a risk factor for a number of serious conditions, including heart disease, stroke, liver disease, diabetes and high blood pressure. It has also been associated with swine flu deaths.
If you, or someone you love, is seriously overweight, please don't despair. Anyone can lose weight by making changes to their eating habits and lifestyle: even if you've been carrying extra pounds for years, you can lose that weight and dramatically cut your risk of obesity-related diseases. Why not read through some of Diet Blog's Tips and Tools to get some inspiration and ideas for getting started?
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The popularity of weight loss surgery is definitely making a niche in healthcare. There's an entire facility in our area that does only bariatric procedures and I'm sure there are several other facilities like that statewide. Not to mention facilities like Brookhaven Clinic, that place where super-morbidly obese people live and are put on a strict diet/exercise program so they can lose enough weight to be able to function in their daily lives.
ReplyUnless you work in health care, you really can't fathom how massive a problem it is. Everything, from the simplest things such as starting an IV, transporting a patient, etc, to surgical techniques, outcomes, and morbidities are negatively affected.
ReplyI don't work directly with patients, but I can only imagine some of the difficulties that are encountered with patients that are severely obese. I do know that when SMO patients are in for any type of surgery, we have to run quite a few more preop tests because they are typically high risk. I can imagine the logistics of treatment of these patients requires all kinds of extra costs and someone has to pay for them. Yet there are people out there that don't think that obese people should have to pay more for health insurance, even though they are most often using most of the benefits that the rest of us have to pay in.
ReplyA lot of it has to do with how us Americans live this day and age. We are ahead in technology, which I think plays a specific role in how we eat. If we are so up to date, then why cook for ourselves? Thats where fast food comes in. Americans thrive off of fast food. So with no exercise and bad health choices, our rise in obesity should be of no surprise.
ReplyI don't see how Americans "thrive" on fast food. They get the immediate taste sensation and time savings from cooking, but man do you ever pay the price for that Big Mac meal!
ReplyThis is a very important issue, that a number of my clients have dealt with. I think nutrition and weight loss makes a big difference.
ReplyOk, what about if your client is morbidly obese? What is your success rate in getting them just down to severely overweight?
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