Remote Treatment Successfully Delivers a Usual Care Weight Loss and Lifestyle Intervention in Adults with Morbid Obesity

INTRODUCTION

Remote delivery of behavioral and lifestyle interventions has shown a great potential for achieving weight loss comparable to in-person treatment. However, little is known about its effects on adherence and efficacy in a real-world setting. During the COVID-19 pandemic, our usual care, a 12-month treatment program for morbid obesity, had to be transitioned to remote delivery. We evaluated whether this had adverse effects on weight loss or adherence.

METHODS

We report retrospective data of 234 patients who belonged either to a cohort affected by the transition of treatment delivery (N = 117, mean age = 44.2 years; BMI = 47.7 kg/m2) or to an individually matched control group treated prior to the pandemic (N = 117, 44.4 years; 47.3 kg/m2). Weight loss, dropouts, and attendance were compared between both groups and between remote and regular treatment periods.

RESULTS

Weight loss and the number of dropouts did not differ between the two groups and between treatment periods. However, attendance at remotely offered meetings was lower in the pandemic group (72.5%) when compared to the same meetings offered face to face in the control group (81.0%, p < 0.001).

DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION

Usual care weight loss and lifestyle interventions for morbid obesity can be successfully delivered via remote treatment.

Chirurgische und metabolische Komplikationen nach bariatrischen Operationen – Ernährungsempfehlungen

Der Artikel gibt eine Übersicht chirurgischer und metabolischer Komplikationen nach bariatrischer Chirurgie, deren Behandlung nur interdisziplinär erfolgen kann. Schwere chirurgische Komplikationen sind selten und die Mortalität sehr niedrig. Es liegen jedoch auch Fallberichte mit Mangelernährung durch Kurzdarmsyndrom und Indikation zur parenteralen Ernährung vor. Die chirurgische Induktion eines Gewichtsverlustes bedeutet eine veränderte Nahrungspassage und -absorption. Bereits präoperativ bestehende Ernährungsdefizite müssen einkalkuliert werden. Die Prävention einer Osteoporose oder Wernicke-Enzephalopathie erfordert frühzeitige postoperative Verlaufskontrollen mit Ernährungsberatung und lebenslanger Supplementierung mit Vitaminen und Spurenelementen.