Obesity Diagnoses Up Among Hospitalized Patients in the U.S.

MONDAY, July 27, 2020 (HealthDay News) — There was an increase in obesity diagnoses in hospitalized patients and bariatric surgeries among those diagnosed with obesity from 2011 to 2014, according to a study published online July 5 in Clinical Obesity.

Janani Rajbhandari-Thapa, Ph.D., from the University of Georgia in Athens, and colleagues used data from the National Inpatient Sample (2011 through 2014) to assess the rate of inpatient obesity diagnoses among hospitalized patients, the rate of bariatric surgery among patients diagnosed with obesity in the hospital, and the costs associated with surgical treatment.

The researchers observed a statistically significant increase in the proportion of hospitalized patients diagnosed with obesity and of bariatric surgery among those diagnosed with obesity. Findings were consistent across different sociodemographic and insurance groups, but bariatric surgeries were most common in patients aged 33 to 54 years with private insurance. The average inpatient cost per hospitalization associated with bariatric surgery decreased from 2012 to 2014, despite an overall increase in the national inpatient cost.

“Future research should address whether bariatric surgery is a cost-effective option for the treatment of chronic diseases,” the authors write.

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