Treating Patients with Obesity - Essay Example

PART A

Introduction

American’s and basically people from all over the world are getting heavier every day. A person is considered to be obese if their body mass index (BMI) is above 30. People whose BMI is between 25 and 29 are considered overweight. According to statistics from National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) about 69% of all adults in America are either obese or over weight. Overall, around 78 million adult American’s are said to be obese. Obesity is not restricted to only adults as it affects children too. Statistics indicate that over the last three decades obesity prevalence in children aged 2 to 5 years has doubled while it has more than tripled amongst teenagers (ages 13 to 19). Obesity has been linked to health and social problems and professionals in healthcare are frantically searching and trying various methods that can be utilized to reduce weight amongst the population (Pickett-Blakely, 2016).

Significance of Problem

One of the major problems associated with obesity is the health problems that arise due obesity-related complications. Data from NHANES survey indicates that the cost of treating obesity related illnesses costs more than 150 billion dollars annually. Furthermore, more than 300,000 people die prematurely due obesity related complications. Obesity is the main cause of diabetes type II. While this type of diabetes used to occur only in adults, it can now be seen in children. Data from NHANES survey shows that 16% of youth have signs of pre-diabetes with 58% of the children diagnosed as having type II diabetes being obese. Furthermore, 13% of adults in the United States have type II diabetes with 40% of these cases having not been diagnosed. Studies indicate that obese people are ten times more likely to suffer from heart disease (the hardening of arteries). Heart disease can cause heart attacks and stroke. Obese people are also more likely to suffer from high blood pressure and also develop arthritis (joint problems) (Parsons, 2008).

Other diseases and conditions that are associated with obesity include some types of cancers such as colon, prostrate, breast, gall bladder and uterine cancer. Furthermore, obese people are also more likely to suffer from metabolic syndrome. Studies indicate that around 30% of all obese Americans exhibit metabolic syndrome. Obesity can also cause respiratory problems including sleep apnea. Moreover, other than physical health effects, obesity also has psychosocial effects. These effects include where obese people are not considered attractive by the society and in most cases obesity is considered as a sign of laziness. In some cases obese people may suffer discrimination (Parsons, 2008).

Current Practice (Surgical treatment of obesity)

One of the interventions that are used to treat obesity is surgical treatment. This intervention is frequently used as a treatment of choice my many obese patients. Surgical intervention will be used in cases where obese patients have a BMI of over 35 and have obesity related conditions such as high blood pressure, where the BMI is above 40 and there are no medical complication or where other alternative medical management of the obesity are unsuccessful. There are two main surgical methods namely; gastric restrictive procedures and a combination of gastric restrictive and gastrointestinal bypass. In gastric restrictive procedure, the stomach is reduced in size so that the quantity of food that the obese person can consume at once is restricted. This procedure is rarely used these days. When performed by competent physician, this procedure is quite safe and has a mortality rate of less than 1%. The combination of gastric restrictive and gastrointestinal bypass also known as Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass involves reducing the size of the stomach and adding a mal-absorptive component that reduces the absorption of food in the stomach. This procedure is considered the ‘gold standard’ in obesity surgery (Buchwald, 2007).

Impact of Obesity on Workplace and Individual’s Culture

The impact of obesity is felt both at the work place and it also affects an individual’s culture. A study conducted in America indicates that taking care of heavy/obese employees’ costs organizations between $ 1,000 and 6,000 annually. This includes getting suitable furniture for obese employees and setting up work spaces amongst others. Furthermore, these costs rise when health care costs are taken into account. It is estimated that 10% of all the corporate health cost in America can be attributed to obesity related diseases and conditions. Obese employees are more likely to fall sick and are more likely to suffer long term illnesses such as heart diseases and diabetes. Research indicates that employers in America spend over $70 billion annually on obesity related absenteeism. Furthermore, obese individuals suffer personal consequences such as stigma and bias. They are also more vulnerable to negative attitudes in their professional and social lives. They sometimes suffer torment and discrimination and perform poorly in interpersonal relationships. Overall, obese people are more likely to lead low quality lives than their leaner counterparts (OECD, 2010).