The aim of the study, led by Western Sydney University (WSU), was to look at the current specialist obesity services available to adults in public hospitals in Australia. Information was collected via two surveys of hospital clinicians and from data obtained from expert representatives in 15 public hospitals.
Clinically severe obesity diagnosis applies to patients who have a body mass index of 35 or higher and a co-existing medical condition related to obesity. Obese patients may need to access a range of healthcare services including psychology, dietary advice and exercise specialists. Specialist obesity services provide non-surgical care as well as weight loss medication and bariatric surgery. The WSU study found that many patients were unable to access specialist obesity services due to services only being available in major cities, and that such services are currently under-resourced. Some services had more than 300 patients on their waiting list with patients often having to wait many years following referral. The study also found that services for clinically obese patients varied between hospitals.
A study recently published in the British Journal of Surgery found that weight-loss surgery is cost-effective and associated with reduced costs to the UK National Health Service. The study also highlighted the potential for weight-loss surgery to reduce lifetime risks of obesity related health issues such as cardiovascular disease and obesity. Other studies have resulted in similar findings about the cost effectiveness of bariatric surgery as treatment, not only for people who are severely obese, but also for those who are mildly obese. Currently in Australia, the majority of patients who undergo bariatric surgery have it performed in a private hospital and incur out-of-pocket costs.
Obesity and overweight rates in Australia are rising rapidly, from 56.3 percent of adults in 1995 to almost 63 percent in 2012. If current trends continue it is predicted that in just seven years, 83 percent of men and 75 percent of women will be overweight. This equates to almost 17 million people in Australia and will put an even greater strain on the health system. As a result of the WSU study findings, there have been calls for increased education and training for staff, improved access to services, and more funding for targeted research.