Bariatrics is the branch of
medicine
Medicine is the science and practice of caring for a patient, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care pr ...
that deals with the causes, prevention, and treatment of
obesity
Obesity is a medical condition, sometimes considered a disease, in which excess body fat has accumulated to such an extent that it may negatively affect health. People are classified as obese when their body mass index (BMI)—a person's ...
.
Terminology
The term ''bariatrics'' was coined around 1965,
[Dictionary.com, based on Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Random House (2006)]
Retrieved 15 April 2006 from the
Greek language, Greek root ''bar''- ("weight" as in
barometer
A barometer is a scientific instrument that is used to measure air pressure in a certain environment. Pressure tendency can forecast short term changes in the weather. Many measurements of air pressure are used within surface weather analysis ...
),
suffix -''iatr'' ("treatment," as in
pediatrics), and
suffix -''ic'' ("pertaining to"). The field encompasses
dieting,
exercise and
behavioral therapy approaches to
weight loss
Weight loss, in the context of medicine, health, or physical fitness, refers to a reduction of the total body mass, by a mean loss of fluid, body fat ( adipose tissue), or lean mass (namely bone mineral deposits, muscle, tendon, and other co ...
, as well as
pharmacotherapy
Pharmacotherapy is therapy using pharmaceutical drugs, as distinguished from therapy using surgery (surgical therapy), radiation (radiation therapy), movement (physical therapy), or other modes. Among physicians, sometimes the term ''medical ther ...
and
surgery. The term is also used in the medical field as somewhat of a euphemism to refer to people of larger sizes without regard to their participation in any treatment specific to weight loss, such as medical supply catalogs featuring larger hospital gowns and hospital beds referred to as "bariatric".
Bariatric patients
Being
overweight or
obese
Obesity is a medical condition, sometimes considered a disease, in which excess body fat has accumulated to such an extent that it may negatively affect health. People are classified as obese when their body mass index (BMI)—a person's we ...
are both rising medical problems.
There are many detrimental health effects of obesity:
[WHO factsheet on obesity](_blank)
Individuals with a
BMI (Body Mass Index) exceeding a healthy range have a much greater risk of medical issues.
These include
heart disease,
diabetes mellitus
Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level ( hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ...
, many types of
cancer
Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...
,
asthma
Asthma is a long-term inflammatory disease of the airways of the lungs. It is characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and easily triggered bronchospasms. Symptoms include episodes of wheezing, co ...
,
obstructive sleep apnea, and chronic
musculoskeletal
The human musculoskeletal system (also known as the human locomotor system, and previously the activity system) is an organ system that gives humans the ability to move using their muscular and skeletal systems. The musculoskeletal system prov ...
problems. There is also a focus on the correlation between obesity and
mortality.
Overweight and obese people, including children, may find it difficult to lose weight on their own.
It is common for dieters to have tried fad diets only to find that they gain weight, or return to their original weight, after ceasing the diet.
Some improvement in patient psychological health is noted after bariatric surgery. 51% of bariatric surgery candidates report a history of
mental illness, specifically
depression, as well as being prescribed at least one psychotropic medication at the time of their surgery candidacy.
[Ward H.B., Yudkoff B.L., Fromson J.A. Lurasidone malabsorption following bariatric surgery: A case report. ''J. Psychiatr. Pract..'' 2019;25(4):313-317. doi:10.1097/PRA.0000000000000402]
Methods of treatment
Although
diet
Diet may refer to:
Food
* Diet (nutrition), the sum of the food consumed by an organism or group
* Dieting, the deliberate selection of food to control body weight or nutrient intake
** Diet food, foods that aid in creating a diet for weight loss ...
,
exercise,
behavior therapy
Behaviour therapy or behavioural psychotherapy is a broad term referring to clinical psychotherapy that uses techniques derived from behaviourism and/or cognitive psychology. It looks at specific, learned behaviours and how the environment, or ...
and
anti-obesity drug
Anti-obesity medication or weight loss medications are pharmacological agents that reduce or control weight. These medications alter one of the fundamental processes of the human body, weight regulation, by altering either appetite, or absorp ...
s are first-line treatment,
[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.](_blank)
medical therapy for severe obesity has limited short-term success and very poor long-term success.
Weight loss surgery
Bariatric surgery (or weight loss surgery) includes a variety of procedures performed on people who are obese. Long term weight loss through the standard of care procedures ( Roux en-Y bypass, sleeve gastrectomy, and biliopancreatic diversio ...
generally results in greater weight loss than conventional treatment, and leads to improvements in
quality of life
Quality of life (QOL) is defined by the World Health Organization as "an individual's perception of their position in life in the context of the culture and value systems in which they live and in relation to their goals, expectations, standards ...
and obesity related diseases such as
hypertension and
diabetes mellitus
Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level ( hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ...
.
A meta-analysis of 174772 participants published in ''
The Lancet
''The Lancet'' is a weekly peer-reviewed general medical journal and one of the oldest of its kind. It is also the world's highest-impact academic journal. It was founded in England in 1823.
The journal publishes original research articles, ...
'' in 2021 found that bariatric surgery was associated with 59% and 30% reduction in all-cause mortality among obese adults with or without
type 2 diabetes
Type 2 diabetes, formerly known as adult-onset diabetes, is a form of diabetes mellitus that is characterized by high blood sugar, insulin resistance, and relative lack of insulin. Common symptoms include increased thirst, frequent urinatio ...
respectively.
This meta-analysis also found that median life-expectancy was 9.3 years longer for obese adults with diabetes who received bariatric surgery as compared to routine (non-surgical) care, whereas the life expectancy gain was 5.1 years longer for obese adults without diabetes.
The combination of approaches used may be tailored to each patient.
must be considered with great caution and with other conditions that may not have to be considered in adults.
Techniques used in bariatrics include
bioelectrical impedance analysis, a method to measure
body fat percentage.
See also
*
Food addiction
A food or eating addiction is any behavioral addiction that is primarily characterized by the compulsive consumption of palatable (e.g., high fat and high sugar) food items which markedly activate the reward system in humans and other anim ...
*
Overeaters Anonymous
Related conditions
*
Obesity
Obesity is a medical condition, sometimes considered a disease, in which excess body fat has accumulated to such an extent that it may negatively affect health. People are classified as obese when their body mass index (BMI)—a person's ...
,
childhood obesity
*
Classification of obesity,
classification of childhood obesity
*
Epidemiology of obesity
Obesity has been observed throughout human history. Many early depictions of the human form in art and sculpture appear obese. However, it was not until the 20th century that obesity became common — so much so that, in 1997, the World Heal ...
,
epidemiology of childhood obesity
*
Obesity and walking
*
Social stigma of obesity
Social stigma of obesity is broadly defined as bias or discriminatory behaviors targeted at overweight and obese individuals because of their weight. Such social stigmas can span one's entire life, as long as excess weight is present, starting ...
Physiology
*
Body fat percentage
*
Relative Fat Mass (RFM)
*
Steatosis
Steatosis, also called fatty change, is abnormal retention of fat (lipids) within a cell or organ. Steatosis most often affects the liver – the primary organ of lipid metabolism – where the condition is commonly referred to as fatty liver disea ...
(also called fatty change, fatty degeneration, or adipose degeneration)
*
Subcutaneous fat
The subcutaneous tissue (), also called the hypodermis, hypoderm (), subcutis, superficial fascia, is the lowermost layer of the integumentary system in vertebrates. The types of cells found in the layer are fibroblasts, adipose cells, and macro ...
References
External links
{{Commons category
VIDEO: How Bariatrics Has Changed Our Understanding of Type II DiabetesDaniel McKenna speaks at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, 2008.
MedLinePlus Portal on Weight Loss Surgery
Obesity
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