Multidisciplinary management of the obese patient: example from the Obesity Center at the University of Liege
Scheen, A.J.; Rorive, M.; Letiexhe, M.; Devoitille, L.; Jandrain, B.
Revue Medicale de Liege 56(7): 474-479
2001
ISSN/ISBN: 0370-629X PMID: 11523296 Document Number: 536051
Obesity is a mulfactorial disease whose prevalence is progressively increasing. Ideally, it requires a multidisciplinary management by medical doctors, dieticians, psychologists and kinetherapists. The new "Centre de l'Obésité" at the University of Liège aims at fulfilling such objectives with: 1) a first outpatient visit including the simultaneous participation of an endocrinologist, a dietician and a psychologist; 2) a structured and individualized programme of physical rehabilitation; 3) an individualized management of obese subjects as in-(hospital) and/or outpatients, using medical and/or surgical approaches; and 4) an opportunity to benefit of other specialized medical advices, if necessary, in order to increase both the efficacy and safety of the treatment. Owing to the increasing importance of obesity and the well-known difficulties to succeed in treating it, general practitioners should consider this new centre as a valuable help rather than a competitive structure for the management of their patients, especially those with severe or morbid obesity.