Integrated Working Group "Obesity / Metabolic Syndrome in an Ageing Society"

35.9% of the population in Brandenburg are overweight and 22.1% are obese, which gives Brandenburg a questionable top position in Germany. Obesity induces a metabolic syndrome which may cause severe physical changes, such as dyslipidemia (low HDL cholesterol and hypertriglyceridemia), arterial hypertension and impaired glucose tolerance. These factors significantly increase the risk of cardiovascular morbidity, and mortality rates.  

This Integrated Working Group was set up to

• study the strain which obesity causes in patients in a non-city state like Brandenburg, with a specific focus on psychological impairments due to obesity,

• assess the provision of medical and surgical care for patients with obesity in Brandenburg,

• explore the individual health competences of patients with obesity and their impact on disease progression and implementation of therapies,

• examine institutions which support and convey health competences (for example, the “MHB patient university”),

• identify obstacles to the implementation of therapies for obesity and metabolic syndrome disorders in accordance with treatment guidelines,

• check the effectiveness of lifestyle intervention, drug therapy and bariatric surgery specifically in the treatment of elderly patients,

• develop, implement and monitor patient-oriented strategies for improved medical and surgical care with scientific support (which services and facilities are being used in a non-city state, are they easily accessible?),

• identify intervention options to prevent obesity, and monitor their implementation.

Subject area I
Prevalence of obesity, strain caused by obesity, care structures for patients with obesity in Brandenburg
Subject area II
Review of effectiveness of lifestyle intervention, drug therapy and bariatric surgery in (elderly) patients in Brandenburg

For more detailed information (in German) see here.