[A firm court resolution against malpractice in the treatment of obesity]

Inappropriate dietary treatments against obesity may worsen patients' metabolic and cardiovascular risk, lead to malnutrition, facilitate the appearance in predisposed individuals of eating disorders and ultimately favor the recovery of previously lost weight. Nonetheless, incorrect therapies aimed at reducing weight, sometimes accompanied by promises of miraculous results, are still rather frequent in our country. The public criticism by Drs. Monereo and Vazquez of a concrete method used by several very popular clinics in Madrid, resulted in the director of those centers suing them for libel. In this special article, we summarize the facts, analyze the methods used in those clinics and their likely negative consequences as well as sketch the content of the verdict of one of the trials, already concluded. Its main conclusions are the following: 1) Health education and the defense of public health is a professional duty; 2) The incorrect treatment of obesity can increase the risks associated with it; 3) There is a sufficient spanish and international consensus as well as Guidelines that clearly specifies the requisites of good medical practice with regard to obesity; 4) In spite of that, there are still treatments that constitute deception and fraud of different kinds and that respond more to business motivations rather than professional ones; 5) The fact of being sued as a result of activities that make part of a responsible behavior within an institution and whose purpose is the public benefit has entailed a serious, difficult and painful situation. We consider that the relevance and interest of the verdict warrants its diffusion because it constitutes a reference for professionals and may be decisive in the struggle against bad practices in obesity treatment.