Rome, 12 April (beraking latest news Salute) – “People with obesity have been included among priority categories to be vaccinated as they are ‘highly frail’ in correlation with the lethality rate associated with Covid-19”, but “obesity in Italy is not included in the list of chronic diseases, the services are not included in the essential levels of assistance (Lea), there is no national network of care for obesity and there is no national ad hoc plan. It is time to change in the fight against obesity ! “. This is the conclusion of an editorial, signed by Renato Lauro, president of the Italian barometer diabetes observatory (Ibdo) Foundation, Andrea Lenzi, Coordinator of Open Italia, and Paolo Sbraccia, Vice-president of the Ibdo Foundation, food for thought for the debate of the experts gathered in occasion of the third Italian Obesity Barometer Summit: “Considering obesity a priority in the healthcare system”.
The event is organized by Ibdo Foundation with the parliamentary intergroup “Obesity and Diabetes”, Open Italia (Obesity Policy Engagement Network) and Io-Net (Italian Obesity Network), and the unconditional contribution of Novo Nordisk within the international Changing project Obesity. According to Istat estimates, in Italy the number of overweight and obese people grows with increasing age, so much so that if excess weight concerns 1 minor in 4, the share almost doubles among adults, reaching 46.1 % among people aged 18 and over, peaking in the age group 65-74, with a prevalence of 61.1%.
“Our country’s obesity rates will have an impact on the future of many people and on our NHS. Obesity is the fifth most frequent cause of death in the world, associated with serious diseases such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, at least 12 types of cancer, liver and respiratory diseases. In the past year it has also emerged that people who are overweight or living with obesity and who contract the coronavirus are more likely to be hospitalized, in a ‘intensive care unit and, unfortunately, to die of Covid-19 compared to people of normal weight “, explains Paolo Sbraccia, Vice President of the Ibdo Foundation and full professor of Internal Medicine at the University of Rome Tor Vergata.
“Due to the ongoing pandemic, obesity has become an immediate concern for our health and welfare services, so much so that people with obesity have been included among priority categories to be vaccinated as they are ‘highly frail’ in correlation with the rate of lethality associated with Covid-19 due to pre-existing organ damage or impaired immune response capacity to Sars-CoV-2 “, says Andrea Lenzi, Coordinator Italia Open and president of the National Committee for Biosafety, Biotechnology and Life Sciences ( Cnbbsv) of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers.
“This is certainly an important milestone for people with obesity, but – he observes – we should reflect on the fact that in the list drawn up by the Government of the 14 diseases of the ‘extremely fragile’, obesity is the only one that is not a chronic disease recognized, still lacking a complete path of assistance and treatment by our health system “.
“The pandemic underway has highlighted the fragility of people with obesity and priority access to vaccination is the first real official recognition for what is currently not considered by our institutions, but also by public opinion and unfortunately sometimes also by the scientific world, a disease, but a personal responsibility of the individual who just ‘eats less and moves more.’ Among all the terrible aspects of this pandemic, the hope is that it has at least served to obtain the right protects people with obesity and that this highly disabling disease continues to be a concern for our national health service even after this emergency phase “, says Giuseppe Fatati, Io Net president.
Obesity is often associated with a stigma, which leads people affected to be discriminated against in social relationships, in school and working life and even bullied and ridiculed, with important physical and psychological repercussions. “Using the term ‘disease’ in addition to leading to important implications for obesity cures and treatments and for the development of new policy guidelines, could also help reduce social disapproval and discrimination against those affected. It could also represent an important weapon against what is called the ‘internalized stigma’, that is linked to the weight of people with obesity which can lead them to attribute negative connotations to themselves triggered by social stigma and / or to fear of being negatively evaluated. from others precisely on the basis of weight “, says Iris Zani, president of ‘Amici Obesi’.
“In addition to the social stigma, it is necessary not to underestimate the presence of a clinical stigma. Many doctors are not aware of the fact that obesity is a chronic disease – explains Ferruccio Santini, president of the Italian Obesity Society (Sio) – and consequently they are reluctant to address the problem with their patients, deeming them unmotivated or disinterested. On the other hand, people who feel discriminated against because of their obesity tend to avoid further contact and visits, reducing their access to care and putting them at further risk their health. For this – he argues – health workers must be adequately trained on this disease, so that they do not underestimate its causes or consequences, and are able to offer the person with obesity an adequate treatment path “.
“Obesity must become a national priority at the health, political, clinical and social level. Government and Parliament must take legal action so that a definition of obesity as a chronic disease, characterized by high economic and social costs, a definition of the role of the specialists who deal with this pathology and a definition of the care services and the methods for reimbursing them, to guarantee full access to care and treatment for people with obesity, and a national media campaign against social stigma involving the world of information, sports, schools, municipalities, ”adds Roberto Pella, president of the Intergroup Parliamentary Obesity and Diabetes and vicar vice president of Anci.