Questions and answers

I am very overweight – where can I find help?

(Bild: Bild: kroneMED, Christoph Hopf, Racle Fotodesign – adobe stock)

More and more people, including children, are struggling with obesity. There is a risk of dangerous consequential damage and even reduced life expectancy. Dr. Christian Maté, general practitioner, has all the information and contact points for you here and on KroneMED. 

Obesity, also known as morbid obesity, is affecting more and more adults and children in our society. Those affected often have to contend with health problems such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol and sleep apnea. The cause of obesity is multifactorial and can be due to genetic predisposition, an unhealthy diet and a lack of exercise.

How to get help with obesity
Body mass index, or BMI for short, is a measure of body weight that is calculated from the ratio of height to weight. Obesity, i.e. morbid overweight or obesity, is defined as a BMI of 30 or more. Your GP can advise you on your lifestyle, help you implement suitable measures and also inform you about the options for medical or surgical treatment. Of course, your personal preferences play a central role in this.

Non-medical measures include endurance and strength training, stress reduction and changing your eating and drinking habits. A dietician can help you with the latter and draw up a plan for a healthier diet. This includes increasing your intake of fruit and vegetables, nuts, pulses and wholegrain products while reducing sugar and salt, trans fats and alcohol. A psychotherapist can also identify certain patterns in your lifestyle that are related to your obesity. 

Surgical & medical measures
The various methods of surgical weight reduction are summarized under the term "bariatric surgery". In principle, they can be used from a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or a BMI of 35, if concomitant diseases such as high blood pressure or type 2 diabetes mellitus are present, if non-surgical methods have previously been used without success. If this is the case, your GP can refer you to a specialist surgeon at your request, who will give you further information on the exact procedure for a possible operation.

Contact points on the Internet

The health hotline 1450 is available to answer health-related questions, even at night and at weekends. You can also find information on common health issues in the GP practice at kronemed.at. On the Internet, the health portal at www.gesundheit.gv.at offers a comprehensive range of information.

Many hospitals also have so-called obesity outpatient clinics. They are usually run by internal medicine departments that specialize in metabolic diseases. Your GP can give you a referral and also recommend outpatient clinics in your area. In an obesity outpatient clinic, you will not only receive medical care tailored precisely to your condition, but also psychological support and dietary advice, for example on long-term support measures after stomach surgery, such as vitamin B12 supplementation.

KroneMED - your new health portal 
On KroneMED, you can find everything you need to know about your medical condition and find out directly which contact point is the right one for your complaints. Click through the clear and interactive KroneMED navigation system.