Vocational School of Justice
TIME TO ‘STOP’ OBESITY
With the arrival of spring, many of us want to get lean for summer, and go on diets, whereas obesity becomes a major issue for Turkish public. Asst. Prof. Dr. Can Karaca, Lecture, Faculty of Medicine, Izmir University of Economics (IUE), stated that obesity was a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on health.
Asst. Prof. Dr. Karaca said, “Based on the data by Turkish Statistical Institute, the prevalence of obesity among males in Turkey is 15.2%, and among females is 23.9% While 30.1% of females are considered pre-obese, 38.9% of males are considered pre-obese.” Asst. Prof. Dr. Karaca stated that obesity could lead to diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and other chronic illnesses, and individuals with a body mass index (BMI) greater than 30 were considered obese. Asst. Prof. Dr. Karaca also said that waist circumference was another indicator of health risk. He said that a waist circumference of 102 centimeters (40 inches) or more in men, or 88 centimeters (35 inches) or more in women, was associated with health problems such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure. Asst. Prof. Dr. Karaca pointed that people opted for surgery for fast and easy results; however, weight loss surgery should be the last resort.
‘Opting for Surgery’
Surgery should be for individuals who fail to lose weight through dieting and exercising, psychotherapy and drugs, said Asst. Prof. Dr. Karaca, and he stated the following:
“For many, a fast surgical procedure seems like a great option, however, the potential risks are being overlooked. Weight loss surgeries are designed for the severely obese- generally those people with a body mass index (BMI) of 40 and higher, and for people with a body mass index (BMI) of 35 and has at least one illness caused by obesity, who used and failed other weight loss methods. Even though the surgery helps people lose weight, it comes with a high price. Surgery causes a significant metabolic load for the body. Moreover, monitoring post-surgery is very important. Surgery has many risks including death. There may be bleeding and infection caused by stitches. Additionally, difficulty in taking nutrition, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, anemia, osteoporosis, lack of nutrients, gallbladder stone, etc. might be experienced in the long term after surgery.”
‘High in protein, low in fat’
Asst. Prof. Dr. Karaca suggested patients to follow a diet high in protein and low in fat after the surgery, and suggested to consume foods that were easy to chew and digest.