Treatment of overweight and obesity – who, when and how? Interdisciplinary position of the Expert Team

The increasing incidence of overweight and obesity and the lack of coordinated health care for this group of patients, as well as the fact that most doctors meet in their practice with complications of excess fat in the body, prompted us to answer the questions who, when and how should treat overweight and obesity. The position includes an up-to-date approach to treatment goals and methods to be used, taking into account the individual needs of the patient and proper view on the role of pharmacotherapy in the treatment of obesity, and the role of the patient partnership in the therapeutic process was stressed, including a new approach to the therapeutic contract. This description is addressed to practitioners and has been extended to include attachments, such as an interview for patient self-fulfillment questionnaire and a check list of basic activities that should be carried out during the first and follow-up visits. We hope that this position statement and attachments will help doctors to start and conduct treatment of overweight and obesity. In addition, the position also includes information where the patient with overweight or obesity can be directed, in case a physician does not feel competent or has not enough time to conduct obesity treatment, but is aware that it is a causative treatment of the complication he is dealing with. The Interdisciplinary Team of Experts hopes that the information contained in the position will improve the quality of treatment for overweight and obese patients in Poland before formation of an integrated health care system for this group of patients.