Looking forward to 2010—more advances in the prevention and treatment of obesity

Dear Readers:

We close the year 2009 with another issue of Bariatric Times filled with excellent articles that I am sure you will enjoy reading.
I would like to highlight the article by Tracy Martinez on pain management in the postoperative bariatric patient. Most of our patients present with a history of osteoarthritis and joint disease and are already taking analgesics, anti-inflammatory drugs, and in some cases narcotics preoperatively. Not only should the predisposition of our patients to develop marginal ulcers concern us, but our ability to properly and safely manage their pain postoperatively should too. I am lucky to have an excellent pain management team I can rely upon to manage these challenging patients; however, I believe in many facilities there is a dearth of information when it comes to managing pain in the challenging postoperative bariatric patient. I thank Ms. Martinez for this excellent contribution.
On a happy note, I just read that in the state of New Hampshire, the Commission to Prevent Childhood Obesity released a list of 14 recommendations to prevent childhood obesity. Among those are the following:

1. Statewide rules regarding the sale and distribution of all food and beverages sold in schools
2. Chain restaurants to label menus so that nutritional information is available at point-of-purchase
3. Requirement of all schools to implement daily physical activity and exercise plans for students
4. Provision by schools of a health report to children and parents each year
5. Reinstatement of physical education and health coordinators
6. Requirement of after-school programs to serve and/or promote healthy snacks and provide some form of physical activity every day
7. Promotion by schools of physical activity and limited sedentary time for children
8. Development of guidelines that ensure all children receive a body mass index percentile-for-age assessment
9. Increase the number of schools that help children learn more about healthy eating
10. Make communities places where people of all ages and physical abilities can easily and safely enjoy walking and bicycling as forms of transportation and recreation.
11. Law that requires all insurance carriers provide a minimum of four registered dietitian visits
12. A continuing medical education unit for physicians, registered nurses, registered dieticians, and other healthcare providers who work with children that specifically relates to childhood obesity
13. Requirement that all pediatric primary care providers should assess the BMI percentile-for-age for everyone between 2 and 20 years of age as part of their annual well child/well adolescent visit
14. Requirement that BMI percentile-for-age should be assessed every year in schools by a qualified/trained individual and enforced through the school accreditation process.

My congratulations to the state of New Hampshire for implementing these guidelines. Now, we have the attention of government when it comes to prevention and treatment of the obesity disease.

Finally, it has been nearly six years since Robert Dougherty, publisher of Bariatric Times, and I met for the first time during the ASMBS Clinical Congress in San Diego to evaluate the possibility of creating a journal for bariatric surgeons and the allied health professionals. I congratulate Bob for his vision and the whole Bariatric Times team for a job well done.

On behalf of Bariatric Times, we hope you have a good holiday season and wish you another great year. May 2010 fill your homes, families, and practices with love, health, luck, and success.
Happy New Year!

Sincerely,

Raul J. Rosenthal, MD, FACS
Editor, Bariatric Times

Tags: Dr. Raul Rosenthal

Category: Editorial Message, Past Articles