[Guidelines and malpractice in obesity treatment].
BACKGROUND
Obesity, is one of the most common nutritional disorder in developed countries. The association with several health disorders (i.e., type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hyperlipidemias, cholelithiasis, obstructive sleep apneas, coronary heart disease, cancer) is frequently present.


METHODS
Obesity is, actually, measured using body mass index (BMI) determination. However, BMI isn't useful to predict body fat content. Skin-fold thickness, bioelectrical impedance analysis and/or dual energy x ray absorptiometry are specific tools with different capability to measure body composition (i.e., fat mass and fat-free mass). All these methods need a large data-base of age, sex and population reference values.


CONCLUSIONS
Obesity management (dietary treatment, monitoring of weight loss, pharmacologic approach, and surgery ) is associated with several complications and errors.
De Lorenzo
A
A
Cattedra di Alimentazione e Nutrizione Umana, Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Facoltà di Medicina e Chirurgia, Università "Tor Vergata", Roma, Italia. delorenzo@uniroma2.it
Maiolo
C
C
D'Agostino
G
G
Arcudi
G
G
D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D019440:Anti-Obesity Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D050110:Bariatric Surgery; D001823:Body Composition; D015992:Body Mass Index; D004038:Diet, Reducing; D017097:Electric Impedance; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008318:Malpractice; D009765:Obesity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000628:therapy*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D012885:Skinfold Thickness
D019440:Anti-Obesity Agents