Obesity and adiposity grade I and II
Obesity, as well as grade I and to a limited extent grade II (see also Indications for Surgical Therapy) adiposity currently belong in the domain of conservative therapy. Therapeutic success mainly depends on the patient’s compliance, and may only be measured after a few years. Extremely unbalanced reduction-diets up to so-called zero-intake-diets are nowadays obsolete, and cause not only the YO-YO effect described above but also deficiencies (reduction of protein-structures like muscles, vitamin-deficiencies, iron-deficiencies with anaemia, common weakness, weakened immune system and proneness to infections). With pre-existing conditions like a weak heart, lung-, or kidney diseases, this may have deleterious consequences.
Most preparations currently developed by the pharmaceutical industry are designed to counter deficiencies almost completely, while producing good weight-loss results if used properly. After coming off a diet of mostly drab bagged-meals, unchanged eating habits and lack of physical activity may contribute to reaching the original bodyweight again in a short time. Such cost-intensive measures are hardly suitable, except for indicated rapid weight-reduction (e.g. pre-operative). Except for medical monitoring and possibly psychological care, such measures also need to be followed by a structured program in compliance with modern nutritional therapy guidelines.