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PRI-MED SOUTH: Patient Education on Dangers of Obesity and Subsequent Diseases Such as Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis a Moral Imperative By Jerry Ingram FORT LAUDERDALE, FL -- April 5, 2004 -- Primary care physicians need to take an active role in educating patients about the dangers of obesity and consequent illness such as nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), a condition that is likely the leading cause of cryptogenic cirrhosis. "Obesity is an emerging epidemic in our country and it leads to many common medical problems. Recently, it has been recognized that a very common form of liver disease is linked to it," said Sanjiv Chopra, MD, professor of medicine/faculty dean, continuing education, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts. "This leads to cirrhosis 15% to 20 % of the time. And we have a moral imperative to attack this. The health of our nation is being jeopardized." At the Pri-Med South Conference and Exhibition, here on April 2nd, Dr. Chopra discussed the significance of diagnosing and treating NASH and related conditions. With the increasing prevalence of obesity, clinicians are seeing advanced stages of NASH. The epidemic of obesity in America has advanced so much that some states now have obese rates over 20%, which has led to more cases of NASH and related conditions such as type 2 diabetes and hyperlipidemia, he said. Approximately 7% to 9% of patients undergoing liver biopsies in the United States have NASH, Dr. Chopra reported, accounting for 11% of referrals to urban liver clinics. "Obesity is linked to diabetes and syndrome X and insulin resistance, and in that sense is clearly linked to NASH," added Chopra. "A lot of patients are obese and we need to educate them. It has to be a multi-point effort from parents, students, communities, government and the food industry. Everyone has to get into the act." He noted that the estimated cost of obesity is $75 billion USD annually. The problem is considerable, with 1 aspect being the rapid increase in the amount of food marketing being aimed at children, which has doubled in the last 10 years, he reported. "I think primary care physicians, specialists, and all of us don't do enough volunteer work. Although we provide free care, we don't do enough of volunteer educational work in our communities. We should join Rotary or Lions Clubs or whatever social clubs are around to educate the public on things like obesity. We should go to elementary and middle schools, working with the teachers there and conveying the message about the importance of diet, smoking, drugs, and all of that. We just don't do enough," Dr. Chopra concluded. [Presentation Title: Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.] E-mail this page to a friend or colleague! To print, use this version