The newest trend spreading through America isn’t one you’ll find on the front pages of People, but nonetheless it should grab your attention.
Over the past decade obesity in American women has steadily grown to record numbers. New research released by the Journal of the American Medical Association, performed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), shows that between 2013 and 2014 about 40% of women were found to be obese. While the numbers for men are still poor at 35% of men being obese, they have plateaued since 2012 without an increase. Overall the obesity rate among American adults sits at 38%, with 8% of that being severely obese. Almost 10% of American women are severely obese, compared to 5.5% of American men.
This significant jump in obesity among American adults and children signals the need for an effective and impactful shift in both treatment standards for obesity and lifestyle adjustments for Americans. Further exasperating the impact of these rising obesity numbers are the rates of obesity and obesity-related diseases in American teenagers and children. In data collected within 2011-2014, 17% of American teenagers were found to be obese, with 5.8% of that having severe obesity according to the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). Raul J. Rosenthal, the president of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) stated that “Obesity remains the number one public health threat in America, new treatment strategies are required. We cannot continue to do the same things and expect different results.”
We have clinically-proven means of decreasing obesity in both adults and adolescents alike, yet the medical standards for obesity still center around the same old ineffective tactics which have not been updated to reflect the advancements made in medical technology and research. Jody W. Zylke, MD deputy editor, and Howard Bauchner, editor-in-chief for the Journal of the American Medical Association released a statement, stating the importance of progressive treatments for obesity in the face of this “unrelenting challenge of obesity”. Both Zylke and Bauchner rely that “Numerous foundations, industries, professional societies, and governmental agencies have provided hundreds of millions of dollars in funding to support basic science research in obesity, clinical trials and observational studies, development of new drugs and devices, and hospital and community programs to stem the tide of the obesity epidemic.”
Despite this, the latest data “certainly do not suggest much success.” While traditional suggestions for treating obesity center around medications and lifestyle adjustments, at University Bariatrics we recognize that these are not universally successful options for patients. With advancements in technology and new research from clinical studies we’ve seen the success patients experience in abating their obesity through bariatric surgery. Dieting and medication are fine adjustments for some patients. However, for many more these changes alone are not enough to improve the quality of life and the reduction in comorbidities which so many wish for.
This shift in the treatment for obesity patients has been a long-time coming. Bariatric procedures have been proven to yield great results in decreasing comorbidities and increasing the patients’ quality of life. Dr. Mehran, head surgeon at University Bariatrics agreed with the sentiment put forth by the Journal of the American Medical Association, saying
“We witness firsthand every day the incredible results bariatric procedures yield for our obesity patients, and the clinical studies released lately do nothing but confirm that belief. We want all of our patients to experience the greatest success they can have in reducing their comorbidities and having more fulfilling lives, and to do that we as a profession need to switch the standard for prescribing treatment towards those suffering.”
If you are suffering from obesity and any comorbidities which may go hand-in-hand with being significantly overweight, it’s of the utmost importance that you seek the most effective and progressive treatment options available to you. At University Bariatrics we consider all the options during your consultation, and help create a customized weight loss plan to help you along your journey to a healthier life! Call us or visit us on the web to set up your consultation!