Worldwide obesity has increased at an alarming rate since the 1970’s. It has become a considerable health issue in the United States. A third of the population currently qualifies as obese. These numbers strain the healthcare system and result in higher health care costs related to comorbidities such as type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia. Many individuals attempt to lose weight with dietary changes, physical activity, or medications. These strategies can be effective and assist with modest weight loss but they often fail to meet a patient’s expectations or achieve desired weight loss.
Therefore, bariatric surgery becomes an attractive option for many people. There are several types available and significant weight loss is seen with some losing over one hundred pounds in the course of year. These dramatic weight losses improve quality of life and improve or eliminate some comorbid diseases. Unfortunately, research shows that about 1.5 to 2 years post operatively, a large proportion of these people experience a weight regain and results are usually not sustained.
Seemingly, this weight regain starts to occur due to a lack of structure and support. Prior to bariatric surgery, there are requirements that one must complete including demonstrating weight loss on their own, attending sessions with a nutritionist, and undergoing a psychological evaluation. In contrast, few surgical programs provide patients with this type of structure post-surgically.
Thus, this proposed study aims to incorporate a standardized online multi-disciplinary intervention to prevent weight regain after bariatric surgery. Information on weight trends will be recorded at regular follow up appointments and health related quality of life determined by surveys. After completing this intervention, it is predicted that patients will experience fewer weight fluctuations, limited to no recurrence of comorbidities and an improved quality of life.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bu.edu/oai:open.bu.edu:2144/42206 |
| Date | 01 March 2021 |
| Creators | Vayda, Amy Christine |
| Contributors | Hess, Donald |
| Source Sets | Boston University |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis/Dissertation |
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