"The reality here isn't as severe as in other areas, but I see obese individuals every day. The waiting list is long. There are patients not only from Vicenza but from all over the Veneto region and even from outside the region. That's why we're doubling the outpatient clinics, and new diagnostic tools will be introduced. I see many obese children in the hospital or at the clinic, although it's always difficult to intercept them in time because parents are convinced they still have healthy children," says Dr. Pierpaolo Pavan, director of the Sian of Ulss Berica, the Food Hygiene and Nutrition Service, presenting worrying data. "Obesity," he says, "is on the rise. And it's a chronic, recurring, complex disease that brings along many other pathologies”. Four out of 10 adults in Vicenza are overweight. One out of 10 is obese. And among young people, the percentages are even worse.
Excess fat, especially around the belly, is under scrutiny, the most dangerous type, causing tumors and diabetes, the number one enemy to fight, due to poor diet, high levels of stress, and lack of physical activity. In short, a significant problem that is expanding while the attention of operators remains low, and medical advice is lacking for those who need to engage in physical activity, which is the only natural antidote to increasing weight. "Obesity," explains Dr. Pavan, "is not an aesthetic condition but a serious illness. An obese person is never healthy. They may develop ischemic heart disease, tumors in the gastrointestinal tract, or, if female, urogenital system issues. In any case, they are patients to be treated and cured. Unfortunately, there isn't much sensitivity in this regard. Those who are overweight tend to underestimate their condition. Even medical personnel do not perceive the danger. There's a sort of resigned, almost fatalistic attitude. However, the Director-General of the WHO, Tedros, states that we are facing an emergency and that health services are called upon to implement all necessary measures to respond to this epidemic." The phenomenon is advancing at dizzying rates. "Italy," explains Pavan, "ranks fourth in Europe for childhood obesity. An obese child, if not treated promptly, has an 80% chance of becoming an obese adult. That's why it's important to intervene immediately. Moreover, unlike what our pharmaceutical arsenal was a few years ago, molecules like Liraglutide and Semaglutide have emerged today, or even Tirepatide, so far only registered in America, which allow us to have a powerful additional weapon to treat obesity, and are even more effective in teenagers." Pavan's analysis, an expert who teaches at the university and has an incredible passion for his work, leaves no room for doubt. "The primary cause of obesity," he says, "is the availability of foods with high energy density and low nutritional quality. Then, even in the Veneto region, the more frugal Mediterranean diet, unanimously recognized by the scientific community as the best for preventing diseases and maintaining a proper weight, is being lost, while the preference is given to the much more abundant Western diet, made up of hamburgers, fries, sodas, sandwiches, flatbreads, and toast, which accumulate calories. Furthermore, physical activity has been reduced almost to zero, and young people spend hours glued to their smartphones or TVs." Medications are useful but not a panacea. Pavan is unequivocal: "They help achieve the goal, they're suitable for the most challenging cases, but they can't be taken forever, and in any case, they shouldn't be considered a shortcut. The real solution is a proper diet along with an adequate lifestyle."
(GdV, lunedì 15 aprile)