WHAT ARE THE OBJECTIVES IN THE TREATMENT OF OBESITY?
The treatment of being overweight and obesity entail many difficulties for various reasons. One of these is the large affected population that is suitable for treatment. Other reasons are related to the complexity and the chronicling of treatment, the tendency for the recuperation of the lost weight and with the fulfillment of any effective treatment, there must be long-term permanent changes in eating habits and physical activity. In addition, it must be kept in mind that social alarmism, medial pressure and false hopes of determined treatments are frequently dangerous and/or ineffective, and have had great repercussions in the media.
The principle objective of treatment should be the reduction of the fat mass of the patient during a prolonged period of time.. A recommended initial objective is a loss of 10% of initial body weight at a rhythm of 0.5-1 Kg/week, although today a 5-10% reduction from the initial body weigh is considered "metabolically worthwhile". These losses are beneficial for the health and should be agreed upon with the patient, without imposing a supposed ideal weight that is difficult to achieve.
The long-term maintenance of lost weight is very important, in that notable and frequent fluctuations in body weight are damaging to the health.
There are secondary objectives like the improvement of life habits, a decrease in associated complications of obesity and the increase, of course, of the quality of life of the individual.