Brussels-Obesity and related disabilities are a growing problem in Western countries, and Belgium is no exception. The numbers also indicate that work needs to be done from a screening perspective.
However, careful weight recording at all ages can provide valuable information and provide many benefits. Considering the entire patient population, weight recording helps detect patients who are overweight or obese and are at risk of developing metabolic syndrome. Conversely, underweight patients can also be identified.
For weight loss, it may be essential to record weight in order to further document the history and identification of both the weight loss itself and the time frame. This can be important for detecting malignant tumors in the first place. However, for elderly patients at risk of frailty, proper documentation may also help with monitoring and optimal treatment.
Thyroid conditions such as Graves’ disease and toxic polynodular thyroidoma can also cause weight loss. On the other hand, proper weight recording can be important for rapid coordination of strategies for some chronic illnesses. Therefore, patients with heart failure can quickly detect signs of early decompensation and consider medication strategies accordingly.
Weight gain can be a side effect of medications used to treat other specific conditions, and psychotropic drugs are probably the most well-known example. In this case, recording weight is to quickly detect weight gain and, as a result, adjust medication as needed, assess overall risk, and consider lifestyle interventions as needed. It is important. There is a need to recognize the importance of physical care and cardiovascular risk management in psychiatric patients.
Proper recording of biometric data is especially useful for rapid calculation of prescribed drug doses, especially for pediatric populations. The potential pitfall here depends on the weights stated by the parents. A Dutch study showed that there was a significant difference between the reported measurements and the reliable data measured by biometrics. Therefore, practitioners should concentrate on recording the parameters themselves during practice.
Data from various countries show that biometric data (weight, height, abdominal circumference) are not well recorded in general internal medicine.
When it comes to recording the weight of the general population, the number is actually very small. Recordings are not made on a regular basis. According to a study conducted in the United Kingdom, one in three patients record their weight each year, and this procedure is repeated more often in women and patients with comorbidity.
The numbers vary in these particular populations, including patients with type 2 diabetes and obesity. The authors of an Australian study reviewed 270,000 records of adult patients and observed that only 22.2% of cases recorded weight. Interestingly, this rate was even worse around the abdomen: only 4.3%!
Dutch figures show that the record rate for overweight patients is 25%. Other figures show that weight is recorded in the medical records of 90% of diabetics at least once every three years. The number of patients without comorbidity is much smaller, a global trend across different individual groups.
General practitioner Sébastien Vermeulen, MD, was born and raised in Hull (Zoersel), Belgium. His many interests include psychiatry, palliative care, diabetes, obesity and otolaryngology. In addition to his personal practice, he works as a general practitioner at the Forensic Psychiatry Center in Antwerp.
This article was translated from MediQuality.
..
