Kayseri City Hospital Obesity Unit draws a roadmap for healthy weight loss

In the obesity unit established within the hospital 3 years ago, internal medicine, dietician and psychology specialists follow up the patients together.

The aim of the unit, where 7 thousand patients have been followed up to date, is to ensure slow and healthy weight loss, not rapid.

Internal Medicine Specialist Banu Açmaz told AA that obesity is a public health problem whose prevalence is increasing both in the world and in Türkiye, and that the Ministry of Health is working to combat it.

Explaining that they treat patients with a multidisciplinary approach in the obesity unit, Açmaz stated that psychological reasons underlie most eating disorders and that they see great benefits from psychotherapy at this stage.

Drawing attention to the importance of this approach, Açmaz said, "We work with our psychologist on eating disorders. Our dietitians measure the height and weight of our patients every time they come and check their goals. In the statistical evaluation we make of our patients, we frequently encounter metabolic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes. We also see improvements in these after they lose weight healthily."

Açmaz noted that there is a height-weight chart in the corridor where the unit is located, and that people who come to the hospital for other reasons can calculate their body mass index here and find out whether they are obese or not.

Kadir Buğra Erkaş, 23, said that he was referred to the obesity unit at the hospital where he applied two years ago with complaints of high blood pressure.

Erkaş, who stated that he also did sports in addition to diet, said, "I was 158 kilos, now I am 112 kilos, I lost 46 kilos. My blood pressure was well above normal, now it is back to normal. I need to lose more weight to reach my goal. Losing weight was effective in my walking and breathing comfortably. I do not have any health problems right now."

Dietician Beyza Özkan also said that they ask patients to keep records of their food consumption and daily activities for 3 days, thus allowing them to both get to know the patient and see the patient themselves.

Özkan stated that after the 3-day recognition period, they prepare a personalized diet and act together with the patient, and noted the following:

"We create his diet, then call him for a monthly follow-up. We check the suitability of the diet. Kadir lost 46 kilos in total by losing 2 kilos per month. When people come to us, they ask about rapid weight loss and want such diets. We explain the harms of rapid weight loss with crash diets and detox diets. Kadir gradually lost weight in a healthy way by changing his lifestyle and adding movement to his life. His daily life quality increased."