A startling new forecast came to light earlier this year. In a March report that urged immediate action by health care professionals across the globe, the World Obesity Federation cautioned that more than half of the humans on Earth could be classified as obese or overweight by 2035. That means some 4 billion people carrying extra weight would be facing life-altering consequences, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, some cancers, and a deteriorated quality of life. That’s not to mention the added burden placed on health care systems worldwide.
With so much at stake, Mercy is taking a new approach to training physicians. In its family medicine residency program, the organization is adding an optional fourth year that will focus on preventing, treating, and managing obesity. Dr. Kara Mayes, medical director of the Mercy Clinic Weight and Wellness Center, says there are at least a dozen residency programs across the country that are piloting an optional fourth year. Mercy is believed to be the only one focusing on obesity medicine.
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“We’ve always felt that our residents need more training in treating patients with obesity,” Mayes says. “This gives them an option to get a really intense year learning more about that.”
A combination of factors—including the ubiquity of processed foods, environmental toxins, and sedentary lifestyles—have led to a spike in the number of people dealing with obesity, particularly in the U.S.
Bundling obesity care with family medicine may be one solution: It’s sometimes difficult to be seen by a weight and wellness specialist, whereas primary care physicians are in a position to spot issues and take action before they become problems. “There’s more demand than there is access, and that’s the case with obesity medicine programs across the country,” Mayes says. “Primary care is really where treatment starts, and we need that to be the main treatment location for obesity as well. There are more patients with obesity than there are with diabetes or high blood pressure, and we can’t send them all to specialized weight management programs.”
A resident’s work will change focus several times during the fourth year of training. There will be months spent learning about obesity medicine, bariatric surgery, and conditions caused by obesity. Residents will also work closely with cardiologists, pediatricians, sleep medicine doctors, and other specialists who are highly involved in treating patients with obesity. The goal is to produce physicians who are able to address the many ways that obesity can affect a patient’s health.
“It’s an exciting program,” Mayes says. “Our residents are learning how to treat obesity better than we ever have before.”
