Monday, January 18, 2016

New York City Is Home To Many Qualified Bariatric Doctors

By Carl Green


Medicine as a discipline is very wide that it makes sense to subdivide it into smaller division so that each division specializes in a the study of specific medical disorders, diseases, or conditions. One of those branches is bariatrics, which specializes in studying causes, prevention, treatment, and diagnosis of obesity. Medical professionals whose specialty is in this subspecialty of medicine are known as bariatricians or bariatric physicians. These two terms are often applied interchangeably. New York City is one of the location with highly qualified bariatric doctors.

The term bariatrics came into existence in the year 1965. The origin is the Greek language. It means, pertaining to weight treatment, when the word is translated into English. Approaches such as dieting, behavioral therapy, and exercise which aim to cause weight loss are included. The medicine profession has other meanings for the term.

Overweight and obesity are continue to cause medical concern in the whole world, particularly developed states. Of all the American adult population, a third of the people have been estimated to be obese by the CDC. The problem is expected to get worse if the existing trend in obesity goes on. With the trend, by 2030, 44 percent of all Americans in all states will be experiencing some form of obesity. Therefore, more batricians are likely to be needed in the future. Obesity is said to exist if one has their body mass index often abbreviated to BMI placed above 30.

People whose BMI value of greater than 30 are at a higher risk of developing certain medical conditions. Such medical conditions include obstructive sleep apnea, chronic musculoskeletal problems, asthma, diabetes mellitus, heart disease, and various kinds of cancer. Obese people need the help of bariatricians because they are mostly incapable of losing weight on their own.

Treatment of obesity can be done using many different methods. First-line treatments usually include behavior therapy, anti-obesity drugs, exercise, and diet. These methods are not very effective and are known to have very limited success in the short-term while long-term success is outright poor. That leaves weight loss surgery as the main alternative left. Surgery has been determined to be relatively more effective than conventional treatment methods in both the short and long-term.

Becoming a bariatrician is characterized by several academic requirements. Having an MD from a medical school that is recognized is the starting point. Medical school concludes with a two-year period of supervised clinical rotations. After that, one must complete a residency program. The duration of residency programs range between 3 and 7 years.

One cannot practice without being licensed. Licensure comes after medical school and residency program. There is a licensing exam that all practitioners who wish to practice in the US must take and pass. Being licensed then opens the door for board certification in obesity medicine. One must again take and pass a board exam. The board administers a workshop and a certification review course to help candidates with preparation.

There are chances for one to further their training. Various professional organizations also provide accreditation to their members. This field is highly dynamic and practitioners need to remain informed about recent changes and inventions in order to be successful.




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