Diabetes and obesity is an increasing epidemic with serious consequences says the International Diabetes Federation. In a position paper released Monday, the Federation now suggests that people who struggle with diabetes and obesity should have weight loss surgery.
According to the statement there is increasing evidence that the health of obese people with type 2 diabetes, including their glucose control and other obesity related comorbidities (conditions), can benefit substantially from bariatric surgery under certain circumstances.
In over 30 studies, type 2 diabeties has been shown to be cured by bariatric surgery (Loss of weight can actually put diabetes in remission). A study put it another way, over 90% of people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes are overweight. There is an indirect correlation between being a healthy weight and type 2 diabetes.
The combination of obesity and type 2 diabetes is looming as the biggest epidemic and public health issue in human history. Type 2 diabetes is one of the fastest growing diseases today with close to 300 million people affected worldwide and 450 million people forecast to have diabetes by 2030. – IDF
The Federation says that gastric banding and similar surgeries should no longer be a last resort for severely obese people with type 2 diabetes. This comes a shock, because the risk of bariatric surgery is present and was once thought that they only acceptable patients where those who were seriously obese.
There is directly a correlation between type 2 diabetes and obesity. Some studies report that having a BMI over 40 increases your chances of having diabetes. “A substantial proportion of type 2 diabetes is preventable, while the prevention of type 1 diabetes remains a critical area for research (IDF).”
Professor Francesco Rubino, Chief of the Gastrointestinal Metabolic Surgery Program at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center and Director of the 2nd World Congress on Interventional Therapies for Type 2 Diabetes said, “This is the first time the International Diabetes Federation or any major international organisation has made recommendations on this rapidly developing area of therapy. It did so because of the urgent need for world-wide expert guidance on the use of bariatric surgery because of the increasing usage. We note the need to establish appropriate measures in education and selection of patients and safe and standardized surgical procedures. Long-term follow up after surgery is essential.”
Professor John Dixon, Head of Obesity Research Unit, Department of General Practice, Monash University, Melbourne, said: “It is very important for health authorities and policy makers to understand that almost all severely obese patients cannot achieve and maintain significant weight loss. They should be treated where appropriate with bariatric surgery which can lead to remission of diabetes in up to 80% of patients. National guidelines and registers for bariatric surgery need to be developed and implemented for people with type 2 diabetes.” – Read the Full Press Release
Photo by Man by May, on Flickr
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