[Kok! Health] Severe Obesity, a Legitimate 'Disease' Not Lack of Willpower... Understanding Metabolic Bariatric Surgery Correctly

Severe obesity. [Image source=Pixabay]

Recently, as multinational pharmaceutical companies have been developing obesity treatments one after another, the treatment market is opening up. However, the only thoroughly verified treatment for 'severe obesity' to date is surgical treatment. Surgical treatment can assist with aspects that individuals find difficult to manage, such as food cravings, satiety, and food addiction.

Kim Yong-jin, director of the Obesity and Diabetes Surgery Center at H Plus Yangji Hospital and regarded as the top authority in the field of severe obesity surgery in Korea, stated, "Losing and maintaining weight is a difficult task, and even with exercise and dietary therapy, patients with severe obesity have hormonal imbalances that regulate the functions of major organs, making it challenging." He emphasized, "Obesity should not be considered lightly or only from an aesthetic perspective. Since obesity is the cause of various diseases that significantly affect daily life, fundamental treatment is necessary."

As is well known, obesity increases the risk of various metabolic diseases and cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia, myocardial infarction, and stroke. It can also be accompanied by sleep disorders and sleep apnea. In women, it affects sex hormones and insulin levels, disrupting menstrual activity, increasing the risk of fatty liver and endometriosis, and in severe cases, can cause infertility. Among these, the disease most strongly correlated with obesity is diabetes. Severe obesity increases the risk of developing diabetes by more than four times. The risks of hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and others also increase. Obese patients often have diabetes, and since treatment and management through exercise and diet are not possible, they need to receive specialized obesity and diabetes treatment.

The representative treatment for patients with severe obesity is bariatric metabolic surgery. This includes gastrectomy, which reduces stomach size, and gastric bypass and duodenal switch surgeries, which alter the path food takes. The treatment method is selected by comprehensively considering the patient's health condition and comorbidities, and its safety and effectiveness have been widely verified. Research also shows that diabetic patients who have undergone bariatric surgery experience longer-lasting weight loss effects and more effective blood sugar control.

Experts emphasize that obesity should not be blamed on individual willpower or lack of management. It should be recognized as a clear disease that incurs social costs. Accordingly, since 2019, bariatric surgery for obese patients at high risk of metabolic diseases such as diabetes has been covered by health insurance. Director Kim said, "Obesity is not the fault of the individual, nor is it easy to treat alone. Society has created this situation, and the solution must be addressed together with society. It is important for families to understand and empathize together."