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Impairment of Quality of Life in Obesity

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Multidisciplinary Approach to Obesity

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Abstract

Morbid obesity is associated with numerous diseases and premature mortality. Improvement of quality of life has been recognized as a relevant tool for evaluating treatment outcome in obese patients, both in medically and surgically treated cases. The concept of quality of life is a major point when discussing measures aimed at defining the impact of diseases on functional status and well-being. The quality of life concept is multifaceted and can be approached from different perspectives. Many terms have been used interchangeably: quality of life, health status, and health-related quality of life (HRQL). First, HRQL assessments are commonly administered initially to assess the overall impact of a particular condition on functioning and well-being. Second, HRQL measures can be used as outcome esteem in order to evaluate the effects of treatment. Finally, HRQL can also be used to assess the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of treatment interventions. HRQL can be measured by either generic or obesity-specific instruments. The “fair” consensus reached among quality of life investigators is that both generic and disease-specific instruments should be used to provide the most comprehensive assessment of HRQL. It is widely known that obesity adversely affects HRQL. Nevertheless, several review articles and meta-analyses have found an inconsistent relation between obesity and well-being or quality of life. Undoubtedly, there are many variables that should be taken into account, such as comorbidities, BMI, age and sex of the patients, and also the presence of psychopathological disturbances and eating disorders.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biomedical and Experimental Sciences, Obesity Agency, Careggi University Hospital, Florence, Italy

    Carlo M. Rotella MD

  2. Department of Biomedical, Experimental and Clinical Sciences, University of Florence, Viale Pieraccini 6, Florence, 50134, Italy

    Carlo M. Rotella MD

  3. Endocrinology Unit, Careggi University Hospital, Viale Pieraccini 6, Florence, 50134, Italy

    Barbara Cresci

Authors
  1. Carlo M. Rotella MD
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  2. Barbara Cresci
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Correspondence to Carlo M. Rotella MD .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Experimental Medicine, Section of Medical Pathophysiology, Endocrinology and Nutrition, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy

    Andrea Lenzi

  2. Department of Movement, Human and Health Sciences, Unit of Endocrinology, Foro Italico University, Rome, Italy

    Silvia Migliaccio

  3. Department of Experimental Medicine, Section of Medical Pathophysiology, Endocrinology and Nutrition, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy

    Lorenzo Maria Donini

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Rotella, C.M., Cresci, B. (2015). Impairment of Quality of Life in Obesity. In: Lenzi, A., Migliaccio, S., Donini, L. (eds) Multidisciplinary Approach to Obesity. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-09045-0_19

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-09045-0_19

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-09044-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-09045-0

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