MEDICAL SPECIALITIES > Obesity

Our present way of life often produces overweight and obesity.

WHAT CAUSES IT?

Normally it is due to bad eating habits, it could also be the result of the lack of exercise, which helps to burn calories, or a combination of both.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN OVERWEIGHT AND OBESITY?

To evaluate this difference a simple observation is sufficient to obtain a subjective impression. Percentage of the actual weight in relation to the ideal weight. Normally the standard tables showing weight and height are used. BODY MASS INDEX (BMI)

LET US SEE HOW BOTH CONDITIONS ARE TREATED

HOW IS OVERWEIGHT TREATED?

The doctor specialising in nutrition must first determine:

• the cause of the overweight, maybe the ingestion of foods that produce the retention of fats or liquids, by the use of an alimentary test or a cellular study.

• If there is a basic problem, such as a hormonal problem, e.g. thyroid gland or other, this must be corrected first….

• diet to lose weight and maintain the loss under medical control.

Cosmetic treatment and treatment with apparatus which help remove localised fat:

• Treatments using ultra cavitation (destruction of the fat by the use of sound waves)

• Use of drainage systems, to help eliminate the broken down fat, through the lymphatic system in a safe way, also the use of endermology with drainage or LPG, etc.

• Mesotherapy helps to eliminate localised fat, with small injections of substances, which help to break it down.

• Carboxytherapy. Carbon dioxide is very effective in the treatment of localised fat and cellulitis.

Surgical solutions:

• If quicker solutions are required, liposuction and liposculpture are practised frequently nowadays. The effects are fast and the patient recovers very quickly. For this the use of the new biological surgical techniques is recommended, because the body balance is better maintained and, especially in liposuction, they help to restore the loss of substances and liquids together with the minerals present in the fluids lost by the body when the fat is removed.

WHAT ARE THE PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH OBESITY?

The patient can suffer or is predisposed to suffer problems such as:
Arterial hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, renal problems, gout, psychological problems, respiratory disorders, etc.

HOW IS OBESITY TREATED?

IN THE HILU MEDICAL CENTRE WE HAVE AN OBESITY AND DIABETIC UNIT.

OUR SPECIALIST, DOCTOR MARTINEZ PEÑALVER, IS ALSO SPECIALISES IN INTERNAL MEDICINE, NUTRICION AND DIABETES.

THE PSICOLOGY UNIT WORKS IN CONJUCTION WITH THIS UNIT.

IF SURGERY IS REQUIRED, OUR SURGEON SPECIALISING IN THE DISORDERS OF THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM, THE EMINENT DR GERVASIO SALGADO, IS ALSO AN EXPERT IN THE INTRODUCTION OF THE INTRAGASTRIC BALOON, WITHOUT SURGERY, AND IN A NATURAL WAY. Visit section.

THE TREATMENT HAS 5 GREAT PILLARS:

• Dietetic treatment: using a hypo-caloric diet

• Surgical treatment: using different surgical techniques

• Treatment with drugs or with orthomolecular supplements

• Change of lifestyle, using the help of a psychotherapist if required, to alter eating habits and lifestyle including exercise

• Treatment with the use of the intragastric balloon

PLACEMENT OF THE INTRAGASTRIC BALLOON:

It is necessary to determine if the patient is a candidate for this treatment, for which they should have an excess weight of between 15 and 45 Kg.

Before carrying out the treatment a simple routine endoscopy is performed, to see the patient’s stomach, in order to exclude any possible pathology such as ulcers, polyps, etc.

A soft, smooth and flexible balloon of silicone is introduced into the stomach without difficulty by mouth, without surgery, in a natural and easy way in only 30 minutes under anaesthesia. After the procedure the patient can leave the clinic and carry out his normal activity. He will experience a sensation of fullness and will loose between 15 and 30 Kg in a period of six months, without any effort. Get more information from our web page Intragastric Balloon.

ADVICE FOR THOSE WHO WISH TO LOSE WEIGHT

In the case of an adolescent, he should speak to his parents or a family adult and a specialist, but he should never stop eating. A balanced diet is required for growth and proper development. In all cases, whether adults or adolescents, the specialist will advise the patient to chose the option most appropriate in his case, amongst those described above. Finally do not follow the diets that have suited other people. Each person’s type of excess weight is different and can have different causes. What has been useful for one person cannot be used in all cases.