New York City Is Home To Many Qualified Bariatric Doctors

By Carl Green


Medicine as a discipline is very wide that it makes sense to subdivide it into smaller division so that each division specializes in a the study of specific medical disorders, diseases, or conditions. One of those branches is bariatrics, which specializes in studying causes, prevention, treatment, and diagnosis of obesity. Medical professionals whose specialty is in this subspecialty of medicine are known as bariatricians or bariatric physicians. These two terms are often applied interchangeably. New York City is one of the location with highly qualified bariatric doctors.

The term bariatrics came into existence in the year 1965. The origin is the Greek language. It means, pertaining to weight treatment, when the word is translated into English. Approaches such as dieting, behavioral therapy, and exercise which aim to cause weight loss are included. The medicine profession has other meanings for the term.

Globally, especially in developed economies, there is a rising medical concern resulting from overweight and obesity. It has been approximated by the CDC in the US that the adult population is obese up to a third or more of the people. With the current trend, approximation show that 44 percent of the population in all states will be obese by 2030. Therefore, more batricians are needed. One is considered to be obese if their body mass index also abbreviated as BMI is above 30.

Research has proved that susceptibility to certain health problems is higher in individual who have an BMI value placed above 30. Some of the health conditions they are susceptible to include asthma, heart disease, different forms of cancer, diabetes mellitus, chronic musculoskeletal problems, and obstructive sleep apnea. In most cases overweight people cannot solve the problem, making the service of bariatricians very necessary.

Different methods can be used to treat obesity. First-line treatment options used include anti-obesity drugs, behavior therapy, diet, and exercise. These treatment options have provided unsatisfactory short-term and long-term results. With such failures surgery remains the only method with capability of producing short-term and enduring reduction in body weight. Surgery is much more efficient when compared to first-line techniques.

Becoming a bariatrician is a complicated process with several academic hurdles. One must first of all get an MD degree from a recognized medical school. The last two years of training in medical school involves clinical rotations in which one is supervised by a medical doctor. Completion of a residency program is mandatory too. Residencies in this field last between three to seven years.

One must also be licensed to practice. Licensing process comes after completing residency program. There is a licensing exam that American practitioners must take to be licensed. Additionally, there is a board certification in obesity medicine that one must acquire. Candidates are helped with preparation by the board through provision of certification review courses and workshops every year.

One can further their qualifications if they want. Professional organizations also accredit their members. Bariatrics still a young field and a lot of research is ongoing. Therefore, professionals must keep up with changes in order to be more effective at treating patients.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment