The Algerian Society of Obesity and Metabolic Diseases (Saomm) calls for the implementation of the national plan to combat the risk factors of chronic diseases, including obesity, which is one of the major factors in the increase in the number of case of these pathologies in Algeria, on the occasion of the 1st day of continuing medical education organized Thursday in Algiers under the theme: “Let’s act together against obesity and diabetes”.
Public health problem, obesity is one of the challenges of global health “immediate actions for the prevention and control of this global epidemic”, warn specialists. “This continuous training day is the first since the creation of the Algerian company.
Its objective is to raise awareness among health personnel of the danger of this scourge, namely obesity, which is a progressive disease and is the gateway to many diseases”, indicated Professor Amar Tebaibia, president of the Saomm, emphasizing the importance of obesity screening to avoid complications. “This training focuses on these essential elements to ensure patient care and prevent them from the occurrence of cardiovascular, metabolic and psycho-psychiatric complications,” he added. The approach of the obese patient must also be taken into account to support him and ensure follow-up.
Availability of treatments
“The doctor must be aware of how to approach the obese patient while reassuring him and helping him to get out of it”, he insisted, specifying that in addition to prevention which is the essential element in the fight against obesity, particularly among children and young people, “therapeutic and surgical treatments are now available and effective for achieving weight loss and the management of complications, in particular hypertension and cardiovascular diseases and cancer,” he said.
It therefore calls for the implementation of the national plan to combat the risk factors of chronic diseases, starting with the promotion of physical activity, the reduction of sugar, salt and fat levels in food . A management that is essential and essential, according to Pr Adlane Zaamouche, specialist in internal medicine, because a person in a situation of overweight and obesity is exposed to many comorbidities, in particular type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases in addition to an alteration of the psychological state, in particular reduced self-esteem, anxiety stress, bipolarity and depression. Hence, he stressed, the importance of personalized and individual care and assessment to ensure better rehabilitation of the patient to normal life.
For him, a prevention strategy is urgently needed and must focus on strengthening and promoting physical activity through school sport, facilitating access to sports halls and developing spaces dedicated to all sporting activities. Recall that 9.7 million Algerians live with obesity, which represents 23% of the general Algerian population, of which 30% are women and 14% men, according to the conclusions of the StepWise 2017 survey.