www.bahrainthismonth.com June 2013 141 Fighting Obesity An escalating increase in obesity has been identified as a major contributing cause of preventable diseases. We take a look at how we can put a stop to it. BAHRAIN SPECIALIST HOSPITAL It is well known in the Gulf that our lifestyle choices make us one of the most obese regions in the world. Internationally, more than 1.6 billion adults are overweight, while 30 to 45 million children are obese. Helping to shed more light on the nationwide epidemic is Dr Amer Hashim Hassan Al Ani of the Bahrain Specialist Hospital (BSH). “Obesity is defined as an excessive fat accumulation in the body to the extent that health is impaired. Those suffering from it have a much greater risk of many illnesses including heart disease, diabetes, cancer, asthma and obstructive sleep apnea. Many don’t understand that the unhealthy lifestyle has a clear effect on their mortality,” explains the consultant general and digestive surgeon. Although there are conventional ways to lose weight [DASH] increased physical activity, low fat intake and a high protein diet with appropriate calorie restrictions [DASH] many have limited results. The hospital’s team of experts offer bariatric surgery to those in life threatening conditions caused by obesity. The process includes restrictive procedures, such as adjustable gastric banding, sleeve gastrectomy, and malabsorption techniques like gastric bypass. Bariatric surgery has become the most effective option in the management of morbid obesity, providing excellent short-term and long-term outcomes, decreasing overall mortality and providing a marked survival advantage. “This line of treatment, performed through laparoscopy, and is now very popular as it corresponds well with the increasing prevalence of obesity. One of the most effective and most commonly performed bariatric surgeries is sleeve gastrectomy; it’s become a novel surgical treatment option over the last ten years,” continues the doctor. The surgery includes creating a long, tubular gastric conduit, leaving only the remaining portion of the stomach that is shaped like a sleeve. It permanently reduces the size of the stomach by about 70 to 85 per cent. Based on follow-up periods of six months to three years, patients with sleeve gastrectomy were found to have lost 33 to 83 per cent of their excess weight. The complication rates are three per cent, with an overall reported mortality rate of 0.39 per cent. Studies also show that it appears to be safer overall when compared to other well-established procedures. “After the surgery, all that is needed is for the patient to follow a strict diet, which includes four to six small meals every day, drinking plenty of water, 30 minutes of daily exercise and daily supplement of vitamins. They need also to be checked every four to six weeks during the first one year,” adds the doctor. E Call 17 812-000. Dr Amer Hashim Hassan Al Ani
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