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17.12.2018 09:14:47
More than half of the adult population in Germany is overweight, a quarter has unhealthy obesity. These people often develop type 2 diabetes, greatly increasing the risk of such diseases as heart attack and stroke. For such patients, bariatric surgery can be the solution. However, state health insurance providers still often reject payment of the expenses on the grounds that weight loss is also possible in a “natural” way.
In future, patients with a body mass index (BMI) of more than 40 kg/ m² will be recommended that gastric surgery be performed earlier to improve metabolism. There is no need to provide evidence that the possibilities for body weight regulation have been exhausted, and only bariatric surgery can help. With a BMI of over 50 kg/ m², without concomitant diseases, it will also be possible to be operated on right away.
“For diabetics with morbid obesity, surgery can be an escape from long sufferings,” says Prof. Dr. med. Jens Aberle, Head of the Obesity Centre at the University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf and a co-author of the guidelines. With severe obesity, body weight can be reduced by changing dietary and sports habits only in a few cases, and there are high risks of developing hypertension, heart disease and kidney disease. “Metabolic surgery for patients with blood glucose levels that are hard to control is also an effective antidiabetic therapy,” says Aberle. In addition, it prevents large expenditures for the entire health care system arising from the treatment of diseases associated with obesity.
According to the guidelines, systematic treatment by specialists is also important after surgery. It includes monitoring of weight loss, blood tests and eating habits, as well as participation in self-help groups and psychological therapy.
