Sunday, January 17, 2016

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 year 1965 is when the term bariatrics was coined. The term originated from the Greek language. When translated into the English language, the word gives the meaning of pertaining to treatment of weight. The profession comprises of different approaches to loss of weight including exercise, dieting, and behavioral therapy. There are other meanings associated with the term in the medicine profession too.

Overweight and obesity are continue to cause medical concern in the whole world, particularly developed states. Of all the American adult population, a third of the people have been estimated to be obese by the CDC. The problem is expected to get worse if the existing trend in obesity goes on. With the trend, by 2030, 44 percent of all Americans in all states will be experiencing some form of obesity. Therefore, more batricians are likely to be needed in the future. Obesity is said to exist if one has their body mass index often abbreviated to BMI placed above 30.

People with an BMI value of more than 30 have been found to be more susceptible to certain medical conditions. Such health conditions include chronic musculoskeletal problems, obstructive sleep apnea, asthma, heart disease, various forms of cancer, and diabetes mellitus. Because obese people are incapable of solving their own weight problem, they need the intervention of a bariatrician.

Treatment of obesity can be done using many different methods. First-line treatments usually include behavior therapy, anti-obesity drugs, exercise, and diet. These methods are not very effective and are known to have very limited success in the short-term while long-term success is outright poor. That leaves weight loss surgery as the main alternative left. Surgery has been determined to be relatively more effective than conventional treatment methods in both the short and long-term.

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.

Licensure is mandatory for one to practice. Licensure follows residency and medical school in that order. To practice in America, practitioners must take and excel in the licensing exam. Board certification in obesity medicine comes after licensure. The board exam must be taken and passed. The certification board assists candidates with preparation by administering a certification review course and a workshop.

There are chances for one to further their training. Various professional organizations also provide accreditation to their members. This field is highly dynamic and practitioners need to remain informed about recent changes and inventions in order to be successful.




About the Author:



0 comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to RSS Feed Follow me on Twitter!