Diet therapy as a cure for obesity?

Diet therapy as a targeted measure against obesity

25/02/2011

Lars Lindemann, health expert of the FDP parliamentary group and Doris Steinkamp, ​​president of the Association of Dieticians (VDD), explain the ever increasing numbers of overweight children:„In Germany there are about 2 million overweight children. 800,000 of them are morbidly fat, obese. Both make them strong for taking over the costs of a diet therapy, because this is an optional benefit of the health insurance companies, i. Performance can not be claimed by the patient.

The morbid obesity has serious consequences for the health of adolescents and often leads to psychosocial problems. For example, many overweight children and adolescents suffer from depression, social exclusion and find it particularly difficult to find a training place. The proportion of adipose children and adolescents has steadily increased worldwide for a long time. Especially children from socially disadvantaged families are affected two to three times as often as children from other backgrounds.

Currently, the expensive and cash-financed obesity surgery is being used more and more often in young people. A more favorable for the society and less stressful for the patient instrument here would be a doctor prescribed dietary therapy, which currently has to be paid but usually itself. And this, although the Federal Social Court has confirmed more than ten years ago that a diet therapy is considered a remedy. To date, however, it has been omitted to include the diet therapy in the drug guidelines. Furthermore, self-employed and clinically active dieticians need to be strengthened in their position. The knowledge of what is healthy is stunted in many children.

Therefore, it is now no longer just about the prevention of obesity, but individually tailored to the children therapies that cause a long-term behavior change. For this reason, dieticians work together, for example, with nutritionists, psychologists and physiotherapists. We therefore advocate that diet therapy is finally recognized as a remedy to
to provide a safe, funded alternative to all patients who suffer from obesity. (Pm)