Addressing the Special Needs of Bariatric Patients

As obesity rates increase, healthcare facilities are confronted with unique challenges in addressing the serious medical conditions that can arise. Obesity increases a person's risk for serious medical conditions, including diabetes, cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure, skin breakdown, and stroke. Moreover, when seeking care for any reason, regardless of whether it is related to their weight, obese patients do not present as merely larger versions of adults of a healthy weight. They present unique challenges in:

In order to understand the prevalence of obesity, one must be able to define it. The definition normally hinges on the person's height and weight, which is calculated as the Body Mass Index (BMI). The BMI, however, may be descriptive, but not definitive. For example, an athlete who performs strength training exercises regularly may have a high BMI, but a low percentage of body fat. The classes of BMI are generally accepted as the following (NHLB "Calculate"):

While these classifications appear reasonable in the abstract, it is possible that they do not comport with many people's daily perceptions of this population. For example, Table. Height, Weight, and BMI Ranges for Obesity Classification​ shows actual weight ranges for these classifications, according to average male and female height. (NHLB "Calculate"; NHLB "Table 1"; NHLB "Table 2")

Height*

(ft/in)

**Overweight...