Abstract:

Obesity is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as “abnormal or excess fat accumulation that may impair health.” To define obesity, the patient’s body weight in kilograms is divided by the square of height in meters to calculate the body mass index (BMI). In Turkey, it has been reported that 34.8% of the population are overweight, 44.2% are of normal weight, and 3.9% are lean in 2012. With respect to gender, 20.9% and 30.4% of the women are obese and overweight, respectively. The aim of this study was to determine the role of obesity surgery in Turkey. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted during the period February 2013–April 2014. The Task Force under Department of Health Technologies Assessment, General Directorate of Health Research, Ministry of Health, and specialists performed this study in accordance with the Basic Model Submission Assessment Component Format for Medical and Surgical Interventions of EUnetHTA. Results: Obesity is a major disorder that threatens world populations, and governments are developing many strategies to fight this disease. It has been shown that medical treatment is ineffective and that obesity surgery may be useful, especially in patients with a high BMI plus comorbidities. Conclusion: Obesity surgery is both clinically effective and cost-effective; however, its ethical, social, and organizational aspects should also be evaluated and taken into consideration when deciding on the correct patient, the correct surgeon, the correct center, and the correct surgical method.

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