A peer-reviewed, evidence-based journal that promotes clinical development and metabolic insights in total bariatric patient care for the healthcare professional
Issue link: https://bariatrictimes.epubxp.com/i/788604
4 Bariatric Times • February 2017 Bariatric Times is proud to serve a community of 13,000 readers from around the world—readers of different ethnicities, religions and cultures. Having been born in Argentina, the son of German-Jewish refugees who escaped and survived Nazi Germany, I take great personal pride in celebrating the diversity of our readership and our country. I became American by choice. Like many of you, I sought a country of unlimited opportunities, a meritocracy that rewards hard work before gender, nationality, religion or sexual orientation. I consider myself a citizen of planet earth and feel blessed to work in a profession that understands the value and universality of human life. Therefore, I ask you to reflect on our role as medical professionals in protecting these values and creating a better world. To close this editorial, I would like to clarify that the above mentioned is my personal opinion. It does not reflect the view of the Matrix Medical Communications, publishers of Bariatric Times. As stated in my last editorial, I am glad to return to addressing the readers via a monthly editorial message. I am privileged to work on this journal and I am deeply honored to have served as Clinical Editor since its launch. I hope you enjoy this issue as much as I did! Cheers, Raul J. Rosenthal, MD, FACS, FASMBS REFERENCES 1. Groen VA, van de Graaf VA, Scholtes VA, Sprague S, van Wagensveld BA, Poolman RW. Effects of bariatric surgery for knee complaints in (morbidly) obese adult patients: a systematic review. Obes Rev. 2015;16(2):161–170. 2. Gill RS, Al-Adra DP, Shi X, Sharma AM, Birch DW, Karmali S. The benefits of bariatric surgery in obese patients with hip and knee osteoarthritis: a systematic review. Obes Rev. 2011;12(12):1083–1089. 3. Springer BD, Carter JT, McLawhorn AS, et al. Obesity and the role of bariatric surgery in the surgical management of osteoarthritis of the hip and knee: a review of the literature. Surg Obes Relat Dis. 2016. pii: S1550-7289(16)30697-9. A Message from Dr. Raul Rosenthal continued... A Message from Dr. Christopher Still continued... care for patients with obesity in the clinical setting, the research shows there is a lack of good background education on obesity, its related comorbid conditions, and its available treatment options. They may be comfortable treating obstructive sleep apnea (e.g., continuous positive airway pressure [CPAP]) or hypertension in the patient with obesity, but if they possessed expertise in the treatment of obesity as the overarching disease, that would improve patient care even further. It would also be helpful to educate these students on the amount of weight loss necessary to improve weight-related comorbid medical problems they likely deal with on a daily basis. Education can be both through didactic courses and hands-on experiences. Like any learning experience, the students' knowledge base should grow as they progress through their education. A huge opportunity for learning exists during clinical rotations, which usually occur during the third and fourth years of medical school. So, how do we go about improving the education and awareness among medical school students? I think it starts with an "obesity education champion"—an organization on the medical or surgical side. We need a group of people that have a passion for the field as well as education. One such "champion" exists and is already beginning to attempt to turn the tide. The recently formed Obesity Medicine Education Collaboration, jointly formed by The Obesity Medicine Association (OMA) and The Obesity Society (TOS) in 2016, and group within the National Academy of Medicine are planning to develop new educational recommendations. Here at Geisinger, we have 2 to 3 individuals per year to complete an Obesity Medicine Fellowship. These fellowships provide a tremendous opportunity for my colleagues and I to guide and teach the next generation of caregivers. Moreover, I'm encouraged by the fact that we see 15 to 20 applicants per year. I hope that we continue to see more efforts behind increasing obesity and nutrition within medical education I'm confident that we are a strong and powerful field, spreading awareness, education, and understanding of the disease of obesity at every possible opportunity. Sincerely, Christopher Still, DO, FACN, FACP REFERENCES 1. Adams KM, Kohlmeier M, Zeisel SH. Nutrition education in U.S. medical schools: latest update of a national survey. Acad Med. 2010;85(9):1537–1542. 2. Adams KM, Lindell KC, Kohlmeier M, Zeisel SH. Status of nutrition education in medical schools. Am J Clin Nutr. 2006;83(4):941S–944S.) 3. Lee BY. Medical Schools Need To Teach More About Obesity And Nutrition. Forbes. Jan 22, 2017. Accessed 2/3/17 4 Castillo M, Feinstein R, Tsang J, Fisher M. Basic nutrition knowledge of recent medical graduates entering a pediatric residency program. Int J Adolesc Med Health. 2016;28(4):357–361. 5. Kreimer S. Medical Schools and Teaching Hospitals Confront the Obesity Epidemic. November 01, 2016. https://news.aamc.org/patient- care/article/med-schools-teaching-hospitals-confront-obesity/. Accessed 2/3/17 Bariatric Times welcomes letters for possible publication. Letters should be no more than 500 words and five references. Letters that comment on a Bariatric Times article will be considered if they are received within two months of the time the article was published. All letters are reviewed by the editors and are selected based upon interest, timeliness, and pertinence, as determined by the editors. Send letters to: Angela Saba at asaba@matrixmedcom.com or mail to: Angela Saba, Bariatric Times, Matrix Medical Communications, 1595 Paoli Pike, Suite 201, West Chester, PA 19380. Include the following statement with the letter:"The undersigned author transfers all copyright ownership of the enclosed/attached letter to Matrix Medical Communications in the event the work is published. The undersigned author warrants that the letter is original, is not under consideration by another journal, and has not been previously published. I sign for and accept responsibility for releasing this material on behalf of any and all co-authors." Letter to the Editor Submissions