South East Technological Universitys (SETU) inaugural Understanding Obesity: Rethinking Diagnosis & Treatment conference aimed to objectively look at how the conventional approach of eat less, move more is not the only solution for the multifaceted and complex disease.
During the hybrid held at the SETU Cork Road Campus, Waterford on Friday, 19 January, experts in weight management offered insights into the ever-growing body of research on evidence-based diagnosis and treatment.
Among the speakers were Professor Donal O’Shea, Clinical Lead for Obesity, Dr Michael Crotty, GP and Obesity Medicine Specialist, Dr Andrew Grannell, Exercise Physiologist, and Aveen Bannon, Registered Dietitian.
The event was organised by SETU lecturer and former dietitian with Operation Transformation, Aoife Hearne who said, “We need to go beyond BMI to explore new perspectives on understanding and managing obesity. Telling people who meet the clinical criteria for obesity to simply ‘eat less and move more’ is now considered to be an outdated approach.”
A multifaceted approach
With guidelines moving away from obesity being a lifestyle illness, to recognising it as a chronic disease, there is much debate on how it should be treated and prevented. While exercise and nutrition are key components of obesity prevention, Aoife, a lecturer in nutrition and exercise science at SETU, says that they are no longer a valid treatment in isolation.
“There are numerous factors at play that cause obesity including genetic, hormonal, and environmental determinants and the varying treatments available to treat this chronic disease. Given what we know about obesity, people should be informed of all options available to them. We must follow the science,” she said.
As part of its leadership role in the region, SETU supports the exploration of new ideas and the examination of existing ones by creating space for discussions.
Addressing the delegates, President of SETU, Professor Veronica Campbell explained that the conference intended to look objectively at how obesity can be treated with a focus on the best outcomes for the patient while examining the science-based evidence behind new treatments.
“It is through this exchange of knowledge, ideas, and opinion that we find new solutions to meet challenges from which all our communities will benefit,” said Prof. Campbell.
Given that the Healthy Ireland Survey for 2022, commissioned by the Department of Health, found that 21.3% of the population of Ireland suffers from obesity, Prof. Campbell added, “Further examination of alternative treatment approaches is long overdue.”
Professor Donal O’Shea, National Clinical Lead for Obesity with the HSE, highlighted how there has been an “explosion” in obesity levels over the past 40 years. “Weight gain is 90% irreversible for 90% of the people. That is not my personal opinion, but that is based on evidence. Therapy and surgery are changing that. The immune system is regulating adipose tissue and medication is altering not just the sense of satiety – how much you eat, but energy burn,” Prof. O’Shea said.
Studies show that there are seven factors affecting weight gain and five of those are outside of the control of the individual, Prof. O’Shea explained. “We now know there is a complex, genetic and environmental interaction that is protecting the body from weight loss and we have emerging treatments based on that understanding,” he added. New medication is impacting on this and the model of care for the treatment of obesity is being formalised to allow people access to surgery.
A complex, chronic disease
Meanwhile, Dr Michael Crotty, GP, and Obesity Medicine Specialist, stated in his address that, “We know that obesity is not caused by a lack of willpower. It is a complex chronic disease that is influenced by genetic, biological, and environmental factors. People living with obesity deserve evidence-based treatment without blame or shame. Obesity care is about supporting our patients to improve health and not just weight loss.”
Dr Andy Grannell remotely delivered an address on reframing the role of exercise therapy in the treatment of obesity, while top dietitian Aveen Bannon, spoke on the topic of nutrition communication in obesity.
Maura Murphy and Laurence Hoey, from the Irish Coalition for People Living with Obesity (ICPO), shared their lived experiences before the event concluded with a Q&A session.
Pictured at the Understanding Obesity: Rethinking Diagnosis & Treatment conference held at the SETU Cork Road Campus, Waterford were Dr Michael Crotty, GP, and Obesity Medicine Specialist, Maura Murphy, Irish Coalition for People Living with Obesity (ICPO), Aoife Hearne, Lecturer in nutrition and exercise science at SETU, Aveen Bannon, RD, Professor Veronica Campbell, President of SETU, and Professor Donal O’Shea, National Clinical Lead for Obesity with the HSE. Photo George Goulding SETU.