Approach to Obesity

Protocols

Approach to Obesity :

Open questions:

  • 1. Motivation: Can you tell me why do you want to lose weight? Has anythinghappened recently that made you want to lose weight now?
  • 2. Thoughts about weight: What areyour thoughts about your weight? How confidentare you of losing weight?


History:

  • 1. Diet: How many times do you eat a day? Do you eat fatty foods (pizza, burgers) orsugary foods (snacks, fizzy drinks)? Do you eat snacks (crisps, biscuits) just beforebedtime?
  • 2. Exercise: How much exercise do you do in a week? Do you do any intense exercise(football, swimming, cycling, jogging)? How long do you spend doing this?
  • 3. Previous attempts: Have you tried losing weight before? What happened? Have youtried any diet plans or weight loss Programmes?
  • 4. Associated history: Do you have any breathing problem (asthma), joint pain (OA),difficulty in breathing at night (sleep Apnoea), DM, hypertension, dyslipidemia,IHD?
  • 5. Exclude hypothyroidism as differential: Do you feel tired and cold all the time? Doyou have dry skin or hair loss?
  • 6. Drug history: Are you taking any medication? e.g., Steroids, beta blockers, lithium,atypical antipsychotics, anticonvulsants (valproate, gabapentin), antidepressants(TCAs, mirtazapine), antidiabetics (Sulphonylureas, glitazones).
  • 7. Occupational history: Are you working at this moment? Does it involve anyphysical work?
  • 8. Personal history: Do you smoke and how many sticks per day? Do you drinkalcohol?
  • 9. Family history: Are there any illness that run in your family? e.g.,obesity,IHD,DM


Examinations:


Vitals:

Height:

Weight:

BMI:

Waist circumference:


Causes of obesity:
  • 1. Common: Lifestyle (Food, drink consumption), physical inactivity,social/psychological factors,genetic.
  • 2. Conditions: Genetic (e.g. Padar-Willi syndrome), hypothyroidism, PCOS, GHdefeciency,Cushing's syndrome
  • 3. Medications: Steroids, beta blockers, lithium, atypical antipsychotics,anticonvulsants (valproate, gabapentin), antidepressants (TCAs, mirtazapine),antidiabetics (Sulphonylurea, glitazones).



Investigations:
  • 1.CBC
  • 2.SGPT
  • 3. Fasting lipid profile
  • 4. RBS
  • 5. TSH,FT4: If hypothyroidism is suspected
  • 6. FSH and LH: If PCOS is suspected
  • 7. Urine RE:For glucose and protein


Treatment:



A. Dietary advice:

  • 1. Eat 5 potions of fruit and vegetables each day, in place of foods higher in fat andcalories
  • 2. Base meals on starchy foods e.g., rice, potatoes, bread, pasta; choose whole grainif possible.
  • 3. Eat fiber-rich foods e.g., oats, beans, peas, lentis, fruit, vegetables, brown bread,brown rice, pasta.
  • 4. Eat low-fat diet, avoid fried foods.
  • 5. Avoid drinks and snacks high in fat and sugar (take away and fast foods),consider water.
  • 6. Eat breakfast, watch the portion size of meals and snacks, and how often you areeating.



B. Exercise in obesity:

  • 1. Make enjoyable activities part of everyday life e.g., walking, cycling, swimming,gym, gardening etc.
  • 2. Minimize sedentary activities e.g., watching television, computer, video gamesetc.
  • 3. Build activity into the working day e.g., take the stairs instead of the lift, take awalk at lunchtime etc.



C. Pharmacotherapy:

Indications:

  • 1. BMI>30 kg/ or BMI>27 kg/ with concomitant obesity-related risk factorsor disease.
  • 2. Unable to achieve weight loss goal despite therapeutic lifestyle change
  • 3. No contraindications to use

Cap.Orlistat 120mg

1+1+1-30 mins before to 1 hour after meal-Continue

[Target: 5% loss in 3 months

SE: Wind, diarrhoea, fecal urgency, fecal incontinence

Contraindications:Malabsorption,breast feeding,cholecystectomy]


Indication of surgery: 

  • 1. When BMI>40kg/m2 or BMI > 35 kg/m2 with life threadening condition CVS diseases, severe disesase
  • 2. Failure to achieve weight loss with other treatment modalitis 






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