Defining the appropriate setting for treating obese patients: do we have the right tools?

Area of Science:

• Obesity Medicine
• Clinical Staging Systems
• Rehabilitation Science

Background:

• The Italian Obesity Society (SIO) proposed a new algorithm for therapeutic setting allocation based on the Edmonton Obesity Staging System (EOSS).
• Assessing rehabilitation needs is crucial for effective obesity management.
• Obesity is a complex condition requiring multidisciplinary evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To apply both the EOSS and the Activities of Daily Life (ADL) scale to retrospective cohorts of obese patients.
• To evaluate the utility of the SIO algorithm in staging obesity and identifying rehabilitation needs.
• To compare EOSS and ADL scores between outpatient and inpatient obese populations.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 288 outpatients and 298 inpatients.
• Multidisciplinary evaluation including scoring of mental, mechanical, and metabolic comorbidities.
• Application of the Edmonton Obesity Staging System (EOSS) and Activities of Daily Life (ADL) scale.

Main Results:

• Significant differences observed between outpatients and inpatients in gender, age, BMI, and ADL scores.
• EOSS distribution varied significantly, with higher stages more prevalent in inpatients.
• BMI and ADL scores showed significant positive correlations with EOSS in both groups.

Conclusions:

• The SIO algorithm is an effective tool for staging obesity concerning clinical impairment.
• Integrating the SIO algorithm with the ADL score can improve the definition of appropriate rehabilitative care for obese individuals.
• ADL scores provide valuable insights into functional status and rehabilitation needs in obese patients.