Globally, the rates of obesity have tripled since 1975; the WHO estimates that in 2016, more than 1.9 billion adults were classed as overweight, and 650 million as obese. Obesity is a contributing factor for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as cancer, stroke, chronic respiratory disease, cardiovascular disease and diabetes, which are the leading cause of mortality globally and 80% of these risk factors are preventable. Prior to the pandemic 41 million of the 55 million global deaths in 2019 were attributed to NCDs.
Obesity is a complex condition, with genetic, social, environmental and biological causes, many of which are not clearly understood, yet there is a general societal perception that the obese state is the fault of the individual, causing stigma. The stigma associated with obesity is a social phenomenon in many western countries; people living with obesity face multiple forms of prejudice and discrimination because of their weight. This bias, often unconscious, is evident in educational, societal, employment and most worryingly, in healthcare settings which can impact on help-seeking and access to treatment.
Whilst diet, exercise and psychological interventions are effective for some, bariatric, or weight-loss surgery, is the only strong and sustained method of weight-loss for people living with obesity, which can also improve or ameliorate diseases associated with obesity, e.g., type 2 diabetes and hypertension. Whilst evidence on clinical outcomes and disease improvement clearly demonstrates the effectiveness of bariatric surgery, less is known about the impact of bariatric surgery from the patient perspective, which is a unique area of research globally, and for the Institute.
This research theme extends to pre- and post-operative care of the patient undergoing bariatric (weight-loss) surgery. This is a strong and sustained area of research for the University, based on a long-standing partnership with the bariatric surgical unit at Sunderland Royal Hospital and the Institute, with publications and impact at national and international levels. Research from this workstream was submitted to REF2021 as an Impact Case Study for Unit of Assessment 3.
Read more about Dr Yitka Graham's research into Bariatric Surgery here.