Friday, October 11, 2013
Sunday, October 6, 2013
India in Hot Curry: Obesity and Diabetes Growing Very Rapidly 2013
The biggest health issue of
the developed world – obesity is catching up with our urban population
in India. A survey conducted by Fitho – an online weight loss diet plan
service company, found that almost three out of four respondents were
overweight.
46% (almost half) were obese with a BMI higher than 25 and that both men and women were equally overweight. It also found that women tended to become overweight two years before men. The average BMI of the respondents was 25.5.
Not just about looking pretty
It’s important to remember that obesity isn’t just about aesthetics; it is a direct indicator of various health-related ailments like diabetes, heart disease and other lifestyle disorders. In fact, India has already been bestowed the title of the ‘diabetes capital of the world’ and the problem is compounded by the fact that Indians are far more prone to cardiovascular illnesses due to the environment we live in and genetic mutation.
Men vs Women
Other
findings included the fact that the average respondent was likely to be
healthy when he/she was 26 and was likelier to obese by the time they
turned 38. The study also found that the average respondent was
approximately 11 kg overweight. Almost 1/5th of the men were in the
obese 2 category (that is BMI over 30 – extremely obese), putting them
at a very high risk of health disorders. Comparatively, only 1/7th of
the women were in the obese 2 category. Almost 12% of the men weighed
over 90 kg, with less than 6% women in that weight range. Other findings
showed that non-vegetarians where likelier to be overweight and people
who couldn’t cook were also fatter. Shockingly 98% people didn’t want to
go to the gym!
The dangers of bulge
Prachi
Gupta, CEO of Fitho said, ‘Being overweight puts you at higher risk for
developing a number of health problems including hypertension, type 2
diabetes, heart disease, high blood cholesterol, stroke and some kinds
of cancer. Obesity puts you at a much higher risk of these lifestyle
diseases.’ The survey also found that people with a higher BMI were far
likelier to suffer from high blood pressure and heart disease. The
people who were overweight also reported higher incidents of knee or
back pain.
Do they plan to lose weight?
The study also found that 70% people were into some kind of physical activity to lose weight were men. 80% gym goers were also likely to be men and walking was the most common weight loss activity. Interestingly, the average age of people who people who’re currently dieting and exercising have an average age of 39 and a BMI of 28. This suggests that people only start making more healthy choices when they start seeing the consequences of living an unhealthy one.
Health.India.Com View – No hasty generalizations
Obesity is one of the biggest public health challenges and is considered by some to be a global pandemic. However, it’s impossible to judge an entire nation’s health based on such a small sample size. There’s also some controversy about using BMI as the sole indicator of ill-health. Many nutritionists and dieticians have spoken out against using BMI because a person’s weight could be due to a variety of reasons including bone weight and muscle weight. Nowadays, the body fat percentage is considered a more accurate tool to analyze good health.
Also, surveys conducted by companies have to be taken with a pinch of salt. For example, a survey conducted by a company that was launching a trimmer found that women preferred men with stylised facial hair and trimmed body hair, while an earlier survey by a razor company found that women preferred clean shaven men!
Note: The survey was conducted by Fitho covering newspaper readers in India. There were 4,100 participants with 46% men and 54% women. The BMI demarcation of overweight (BMI>23), obese (BMI>25) and extremely obese (BMI>30) is according to the Indian Health Ministry in 2012.
46% (almost half) were obese with a BMI higher than 25 and that both men and women were equally overweight. It also found that women tended to become overweight two years before men. The average BMI of the respondents was 25.5.
Not just about looking pretty
It’s important to remember that obesity isn’t just about aesthetics; it is a direct indicator of various health-related ailments like diabetes, heart disease and other lifestyle disorders. In fact, India has already been bestowed the title of the ‘diabetes capital of the world’ and the problem is compounded by the fact that Indians are far more prone to cardiovascular illnesses due to the environment we live in and genetic mutation.
Men vs Women
Other
findings included the fact that the average respondent was likely to be
healthy when he/she was 26 and was likelier to obese by the time they
turned 38. The study also found that the average respondent was
approximately 11 kg overweight. Almost 1/5th of the men were in the
obese 2 category (that is BMI over 30 – extremely obese), putting them
at a very high risk of health disorders. Comparatively, only 1/7th of
the women were in the obese 2 category. Almost 12% of the men weighed
over 90 kg, with less than 6% women in that weight range. Other findings
showed that non-vegetarians where likelier to be overweight and people
who couldn’t cook were also fatter. Shockingly 98% people didn’t want to
go to the gym!The dangers of bulge
Prachi
Gupta, CEO of Fitho said, ‘Being overweight puts you at higher risk for
developing a number of health problems including hypertension, type 2
diabetes, heart disease, high blood cholesterol, stroke and some kinds
of cancer. Obesity puts you at a much higher risk of these lifestyle
diseases.’ The survey also found that people with a higher BMI were far
likelier to suffer from high blood pressure and heart disease. The
people who were overweight also reported higher incidents of knee or
back pain.Do they plan to lose weight?
The study also found that 70% people were into some kind of physical activity to lose weight were men. 80% gym goers were also likely to be men and walking was the most common weight loss activity. Interestingly, the average age of people who people who’re currently dieting and exercising have an average age of 39 and a BMI of 28. This suggests that people only start making more healthy choices when they start seeing the consequences of living an unhealthy one.
Health.India.Com View – No hasty generalizations
Obesity is one of the biggest public health challenges and is considered by some to be a global pandemic. However, it’s impossible to judge an entire nation’s health based on such a small sample size. There’s also some controversy about using BMI as the sole indicator of ill-health. Many nutritionists and dieticians have spoken out against using BMI because a person’s weight could be due to a variety of reasons including bone weight and muscle weight. Nowadays, the body fat percentage is considered a more accurate tool to analyze good health.
Also, surveys conducted by companies have to be taken with a pinch of salt. For example, a survey conducted by a company that was launching a trimmer found that women preferred men with stylised facial hair and trimmed body hair, while an earlier survey by a razor company found that women preferred clean shaven men!
Note: The survey was conducted by Fitho covering newspaper readers in India. There were 4,100 participants with 46% men and 54% women. The BMI demarcation of overweight (BMI>23), obese (BMI>25) and extremely obese (BMI>30) is according to the Indian Health Ministry in 2012.
China Rapidly Getting Obese & Diabetic
More Chinese people aged 20 to 39 are becoming overweight and their
athletic ability is declining, according to a national survey released
on Monday.
The survey of more than 43,000 adults found that more than 11 percent
of people aged 20 to 39 are obese, an increase of 2 percentage points
since the last survey in 2010.
The average weight gain of the group was 1.92 kilograms, higher than figures of the other two age groups (40-59 and 60 plus).
The General Administration of Sport survey of 10 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities also found that 34.4 percent of Chinese between 20 and 69 are overweight.
Tian Ye, director of the China Institute of Sports Science, said the issue of weight and physical decline can be attributed partially to the lack of sports activities among young people.
"We are still analyzing the reasons, but it couldn't be more obvious that the lack of exercise played a negative role," Tian said.
According to the survey, those between 20 and 39 are the least active exercisers. Fifty-one percent of them don't exercise regularly, citing no time due to overloaded schedules.
The results also indicated that waist circumferences and hiplines have increased in all age groups, especially among young males and middle-aged females in urban areas.
Meanwhile, a decline has been seen among young adults in their ability to grip something, jump or maintain balance, indicating losses of strength and flexibility.
"Statistically, the fitness level of this group dropped in line with the decline of their sports involvement. It proved the importance of sports exercise for keeping fit and healthy," Tian said.
 |
The average weight gain of the group was 1.92 kilograms, higher than figures of the other two age groups (40-59 and 60 plus).
The General Administration of Sport survey of 10 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities also found that 34.4 percent of Chinese between 20 and 69 are overweight.
Tian Ye, director of the China Institute of Sports Science, said the issue of weight and physical decline can be attributed partially to the lack of sports activities among young people.
"We are still analyzing the reasons, but it couldn't be more obvious that the lack of exercise played a negative role," Tian said.
According to the survey, those between 20 and 39 are the least active exercisers. Fifty-one percent of them don't exercise regularly, citing no time due to overloaded schedules.
The results also indicated that waist circumferences and hiplines have increased in all age groups, especially among young males and middle-aged females in urban areas.
Meanwhile, a decline has been seen among young adults in their ability to grip something, jump or maintain balance, indicating losses of strength and flexibility.
"Statistically, the fitness level of this group dropped in line with the decline of their sports involvement. It proved the importance of sports exercise for keeping fit and healthy," Tian said.
Sunday, September 15, 2013
Attend the first Obesity and Diabetes Treatment, Innovation and Prevention Summit in California
Attend the first Obesity and Diabetes Treatment, Innovation and Prevention
Summit
This
is a great opportunity for health care professionals including
physicians, nutritionist, nurses, hospital administrators, research
professionals, scientist, policy makers, insurance providers, group
purchasing organizations, non profits foundations, start ups and mature
companies wanting to learn about prevention, identification and
treatment of obesity. This event will bring, key opinion leaders to talk
about various methods to identify, manage, treat and prevent obesity
and diabetes. Twenty innovative companies working in obesity and
diabetes
will showcase their technologies to attendees so the community is aware
of the next generation technologies available to their patients and
future developments. Strategic companies can take advantage of this
summit. ODIS is the
first of its kind obesity and diabetes summit held on the west coast.
When: Jan 30 -31, 2014
Where: Westin, South Coast Plaza in Orange County, CA.
To attend contact: Info.odis1@gmail.com
Orange County is known as a hub for medical device innovation. This event will elevate the
visibility of Southern California and innovative companies in the fight against
obesity and diabetes.
In July 2013 the
American Medical Association declared that obesity was a disease. Obesity and related healthcare issues cost
the US $190 Billion annually. This is an important time in the fight against
obesity and diabetes
To sponsor, showcase or qualify to present please email a non-confidential company profile to info.odis1@gmail.com
Top 20 in the obesity and diabetes space will be presenting at the innovation summit.
Obesity and
Diabetes Innovation Summit is being presented by TrialMed Life Sciences and
SEVEN (Scientific Entrepreneur & Venture Capital Network).
Monday, August 19, 2013
Middle East Going Obese: Saudi Man Hits World Record Weight: THE KING INTERVENES
According to the U.N.,
Kuwait has the highest proportion of obese adults in the Middle East,
with 42.8% of its population considered severely overweight. Saudi
Arabia follows at 35.2%.
The growth of obesity in
the region is also an economic concern. According to a report by Frost
& Sullivan, healthcare spending across the Gulf will triple to
$133.2 billion by 2018, mainly as a result of lifestyle diseases like obesity and diabetes.
This is making investor think about investing in obesity and diabetes interventions.
Obesity is going to be the world's biggest health care market.
King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia has intervened to help a man who has become one of the heaviest people in the world.
The king ordered Khalid
bin Mohsen Shaari, who weighs 1,345 pounds (610kg) and is unable to move
by himself, be transferred from the Southern border province of Jazan
to the country's capital Riyadh to undergo treatment.
According to Guinness
World Records, the record weight for a living person is held by Manuel
Uribe from Mexico, who weighed 1,235 pounds (560kg) in 2006. After
making a television appeal for help, his weight in March 2012 had fallen
to 980 pounds (444.6 kg.)
According to the official
spokesman for Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Health, Shaari was due to
arrive in Riyadh either later Monday or on Tuesday. Pictures showed a
fork-lift truck lifting him in is bed. The spokesman said Shaari is aged
between 18 and 20.
He will be treated at the
King Fahd Medical City, and undergo a series of dietary and physical
programs in order to help him lose weight, the spokesman said. Although
surgery is not scheduled at the moment, the Ministry of Health says it
has not been ruled out. Special beds and trolleys have been made for
him.
Onciomed, Inc in
California has developed a ground breaking technology that imitates
gastric surgery without cutting portions of the stomach.
Currently, raising capital from private and institutional investors: info@onciomed.com
After AMA (American
Medical Association ) declared obesity as a disease. The market for
obesity is estimated to touch $139.5 B by 2017. This is making the
medical device makers and investors very excited. There are very few
treatment options for obesity, since it was never classified as a
disease and only a medical condition.
Monday, July 29, 2013
Obesity World Wide: Translating to worlds biggest market and big investment opportunity
The Obesity technologies are back in action as AMA declares obesity as a disease.
This is game changing opportunity for many companies.
Young companies like: ONCIOMED, Inc, RESHAPE MEDICAL, BARANOVA, GI DYNAMICS, ALLERGAN, OBALON, VALENTX are at the forefront of all the obesity technologies.
There are in all about 10 promising companies medical device companies in a market estimated to reach $139.5 Billion by 2017.
Company with a novel technology that is currently raising capital is ONCIOMED, Inc based in Irvine, Ca.
info@onciomed.com; CEO is Dr. Raj Nihalani.( raj@onciomed.com )
Other companies have recently raised capital and conducting clinical trials.
This is game changing opportunity for many companies.
Young companies like: ONCIOMED, Inc, RESHAPE MEDICAL, BARANOVA, GI DYNAMICS, ALLERGAN, OBALON, VALENTX are at the forefront of all the obesity technologies.
There are in all about 10 promising companies medical device companies in a market estimated to reach $139.5 Billion by 2017.
Company with a novel technology that is currently raising capital is ONCIOMED, Inc based in Irvine, Ca.
info@onciomed.com; CEO is Dr. Raj Nihalani.( raj@onciomed.com )
Other companies have recently raised capital and conducting clinical trials.
Thursday, July 11, 2013
Australia uses a graphic ad campaign to prevent obesity! Australia 5th Obese Country!
Just like last year, Australia remains at fifth place with 24.6% of its population considered obese, while New Zealand is still at third with 26.5%.
There's no surprise there as the two neighbouring countries have done little movement in the chart in the past years.
However, it's worth noting that the United States, which had held the title of the most obese among populous countries for a long time, has now passed the torch to Mexico.
According to the report, which was conducted by the United Nations, its southern neighbour is the new country with the most number of overweight residents. Mexico was previously only second to the U.S. About 70% of adults in Mexico are considered overweight, while 32.8% are considered obese.
According to the Daily Mail, it managed to nab the unwanted title
with a combination of a few factors, including poverty and expensive
healthy food.With nearly 50% of the country's population are considered poor and the rich have already turned to healthier lifestyles, it is the malnourished that are becoming obese.
"The same people who are malnourished are the ones who are becoming obese," physician Abelardo Avila was quoted by the paper as saying. "In the poor classes we have obese and malnourished children. The worst thing is the children are becoming programmed for obesity. It's a very serious epidemic."
A resident, Sally Neiman who has lived in the country for 20 years, explained further, "Because of a lack of money and food, people go for more energy-intense foods. These are often high in sugar or fat. People drink Coca-Cola as if it was water in order to have the energy to carry on - and so many of the foods are rich in carbs, are full of cheese or are fried.
"There is no control in schools to what kids eat these days, it is normal to see a kid having a soda for breakfast and eating 'comida chatarra' (junk food), it is allowed to be sold in schools."
Healthier food in Mexico tend to be pricier as well for the poor and working class; hence, they choose the heavier yet cheaper food.
The U.S. is still at close second with 31.8% of its population considered obese.
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
Obesity in Mexico: Mexico surpasses US as world's most obese nation
According to a new report from the United Nations, nearly 70 percent of Mexican adults are overweight, and childhood obesity in the country has tripled within the past decade, Medical Daily reported. One-third of Mexican teenagers are also obese, and experts believe that four out of every five obese children will remain overweight for the rest of their lives.
Experts believe the rise in Mexico’s obesity rates has to do with the continuously growing gap between the country’s classes, as 50 percent of the population currently lives below the poverty line. According to Medical Daily, healthy diets are becoming less affordable, prompting individuals with low incomes to consume more unhealthy foods, such as fried foods and soda.
One researcher also believes the increase can be attributed to more Mexicans moving from rural to urban areas, where food prices are much higher and sedentary lifestyles are easier.
“The result is that for many Mexicans, particularly in urban areas or in northern states, switching to healthier diets is becoming increasingly difficult," UN expert Olivier de Shutter wrote in a report on Mexican agriculture and nutrition.
Attend the Obesity & Diabtes Innovation Summit in Oct 3-4 in Orange County, Ca.
This is an important time in the fight against
obesity and diabetes
For
the first time there is going to be a Obesity & Diabetes Innovation
Summit in Orange County, California in Oct 3-4, 2013.
10
Medical device and 10 pharma companies will be talking about their
innovations in obesity and diabetes.
Sponsor companies will get an opportunity to voice their support for obesity.
Sponsor companies will get an opportunity to voice their support for obesity.
Who should attend: Expected guest 250-300
Medical
device and pharmaceutical executives, business development executives
(tremendous opportunity to partner with young start ups early).
Sponsor companies who are joining the fight against obesity.
Start up companies who can get tremendous visibility to investor and strategic partners
VCs,
private investors, PE executives and boutique investment bankers as
this new disease classification brings more opportunity in this space.
Doctors, Nutritional experts, medical device, pharma and hospital/healthcare executives, allied health care professionals.
To sponsor, showcase or qualify to present please email a non-confidential company profile to info.odis1@gmail.com
Top 20 in the obesity and diabetes space will be presenting at the innovation summit.Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Arundhati Parmar Sr Editor for MD &DI: North American Obesity Market to Swell to $139.5B by 2017, Spells Opportunity for Device Makers
Published: July 8, 2013
Find more content on:
North American Obesity Market to Swell to $139.5B by 2017, Spells Opportunity for Device Makers
A new research report
forecasts that the weight loss and obesity management market in North
America will increase to $139.5 billion in 2017, up from $102 billion in
2012.
The market includes medical device products used in weight loss
surgery, and the report from MarketsandMarkets underscores the
opportunity for medical device manufacturers. In the medical device
arena, the opportunity seems to be primarily in areas that provide
patients an alternative to invasive surgery. The report said:Minimally-invasive and non-invasive surgical procedures that use highly sophisticated equipment like endoscopes and laparoscopes have been developed. In addition, non-invasive weight loss techniques like cryolipolysis, transoral obesity revision surgery, cold laser shaping, and Stomaphyx are also gaining popularity.It remains to be seen whether American Medical Association's decision to consider obesity a disease will have an effect on the overall size in the market. When the June decision from the AMA came down, it marked a real uproar because some believed that considering obesity a disease basically means that individual responsibility can be denied. People who lead unhealthy lifestyles can simply believe that clinical intervention is automatically required instead of a change in behavior.
The same debate has spilled over to a discussion on the LinkedIn Medical Devices Group. Politics aside, what is salient about the discussion is that some users of the group believe the growing market holds great promise for medical device inventors.
Take user Paul Stein for instance. A medical device professional, formerly with St. Jude Medical, Stein believes that medical devices will succeed in tackling the epidemic that is obesity where pharmaceutical companies have failed. Here is an edited version of his comments:
For us in the medical devices industry, we need to look at this as a tremendous opportunity to create the next generation of medical devices.Stein points to one startup that he is working with - Onciomed - that he believes has the potential to address the global obesity challenge. The Irvine, California firm has devised a minimally-invasive procedure called the GVS System that restricts food intake while providing a feeling of fullness and satiety.
The current set of drugs, along with their toxicities, do very little. And, the one marketed medical device, the Lap Band, has proven its worth in treating obesity. But, the most important fact that needs to be soberly understood is that the little medical device company that invented that device was paid $1.2B by Allergan for it. Yes, that's a B.
One of the other very popular treatments for obesity, the vertical sleeve gastrectomy, uses several thousands of dollars of linear staples (Covidien, J&J) per procedure. Performed over a million times per year, you do the math.
Fred Voss, another LinkedIn user who commented on the discussion, is also working on an innovative device to treat obesity while achieving the positive effects of bariatric surgery. San Clemente, California-firm PlenSat, where Voss is CEO, has developed what it calls digestible balloons. The capsules containing the balloons can be ingested over several days, thereby slowly changing stomach volume. They result in the patient feeling a sense of fullness.
The opportunity in treating obesity is not simply limited to startups though. Another LinkedIn user, Patrick Pickerell commented on how insurance reimbursement for devices used in obesity procedures as a result of AMA's decision is proving to be a boon to his company - Peridot. Pickerell is president of that firm based in Pleasanton, California.
My company (Peridot) is a supplier of precision metal and plastic components to the minimally invasive device companies. As such we have at least half a dozen clients in the stomach reduction space that have placed their bets on just such a ruling. Insurance reimbursement codes mean the difference between a viable exit/sale of these startups so from a business standpoint (somewhat selfishly I admit) I am glad for the ruling.
From an economic point of view it seems better to treat obesity now than pay for the long term effects of diabetes and heart disease.
[Photo Credit: iStockPhoto.com user jangeltun]
-- By Arundhati Parmar, Senior Editor, MD+DITuesday, June 18, 2013
Obesity and Diabetes may Banckrupt the Nation!! This is a unmet need!
We all know that Obama care will make it more expensive and we will pay more out of pocket to get treatment.
Obesity cost the nation $140 Billion annually.Obesity is the world's biggest market.
The policy makers can make it easy by incentivizing VCs to invest in Obesity technologies and in life science technologies. This will enable innovation or we will be paying more for royalties to international innovators.
WHITE HOUSE its up to you now!!!
Ultimately, Obamacare may be able to offer healthcare to a wide array of people but may fail to remedy the ills of rising health insurance and healthcare costs. Meanwhile, in addition to taxes and penalties, the new entitlement program will be financed by more than $700 billion in cuts from Medicare over a ten year period. This means that retirees will need to buy additional supplemental insurance through one of the health care companies.
Obesity cost the nation $140 Billion annually.Obesity is the world's biggest market.
The policy makers can make it easy by incentivizing VCs to invest in Obesity technologies and in life science technologies. This will enable innovation or we will be paying more for royalties to international innovators.
WHITE HOUSE its up to you now!!!
Ultimately, Obamacare may be able to offer healthcare to a wide array of people but may fail to remedy the ills of rising health insurance and healthcare costs. Meanwhile, in addition to taxes and penalties, the new entitlement program will be financed by more than $700 billion in cuts from Medicare over a ten year period. This means that retirees will need to buy additional supplemental insurance through one of the health care companies.
Friday, June 14, 2013
Childhood Obesity Now Becoming A Major Health Care Concern: Focus on UK's Childhood Obesity Admissions
Childhood Obesity Now Becoming A Major Health Care Concern: Focus on UK's Childhood Obesity Admissions
Obesity is now the worlds biggest health care market. Currently the treatments are diet, exercise, appetite suppressants from Vivus and Arena pharmaceuticals, medical devices like the lap-band from Allergan and then novel medical devices like The DUO from Reshape, Endo-barrier from Gi Dynamics, GVS from Onciomed, Inc, Intra-gastric balloon from Obalon, Baronova.
These are a few companies that are at the top list of obesity intervention. But the problem is so profound and options so few that all these companies have a tremendous opportunity to grow or get acquired. Unfortunate that a company like Satiety was ahead of its time in adoption and regulatory process. The product had its limitations like the ( profile and navigation through the esophagus) would have been approved in the current regulatory environment and possibly be acquired for v high valuation. VCs were on the side lines and now returning to the obesity field to invest in new technologies.
The number of children admitted to hospital for problems related to obesity in England and Wales quadrupled between 2000 and 2009, according to the 'Rising Obesity-Related Hospital Admissions among Children and Young People in England: National Time Trends Study', by researchers at Imperial College London, UK.
Using the Hospital Episodes Statistics database, they reported on the number of hospital admissions for children and young people aged five to 19 where obesity was recorded in the diagnosis, between 2000 and 2009.
The study, published in the journal Plos One, states that in 2009 there were 3,806 children admitted to hospital for obesity-related conditions, compared with just 872 in 2000. Alarmingly, nearly three quarters of these admissions were to deal with problems complicated by obesity such as asthma, breathing difficulties during sleep and complications of pregnancy, rather than obesity itself being the primary reason.
"The burden of obesity is usually thought to have its serious consequences in adulthood, but we now see it manifesting earlier, in childhood," said Dr Sonia Saxena, from the School of Public Health at Imperial, who led the study. "It's clear that rising obesity levels are causing more medical problems in children, but the rise we observed probably also reflects increasing awareness among clinicians, who have become better at recognising obesity."
For this study the researchers defined total obesity admissions as comprising both primary and secondary diagnoses of obesity and reported on the number of children and young people who underwent bariatric surgical procedures for the management of obesity during the study period.
The found that between 2000 and 2009, age- and sex-specific hospital admission rates in 5–19 year olds for total obesity-related diagnoses increased more than four-fold from 93.0 (95% CI 86.0 to 100.0) per million children to 414.0 (95% CI 410.7 to 417.5) per million children, largely due to rising admissions where obesity was mentioned as a co-morbidity.
The median age of admission to hospital over the study period was 14.0 years; 5,566 (26.7%) admissions were for obesity and 15,319 (73.3%) mentioned obesity as a comorbidity (Table 1). Admissions were more common in girls than boys (56.2% v 43.8%) and the most common reasons for admission where obesity was a comorbid condition were sleep apnoea, asthma, and complications of pregnancy.
Overall admissions were more common in girls than boys (56.2% v 43.8%) and increased with age from 18.7%, 40.1% and 41.2% for age groups 5–9, 10–14 and 15–19 years respectively.
The researchers state that there needs to be a full economic analysis of the cost of managing and treating obesity in children and young people and future research should aim to identify target groups of children with higher prevalence of obesity and investigate how this compares with those treated for obesity-related conditions in hospitals in England.
In addition, they urge further researcher as to whether the publication of national guidelines have impacted on hospital admission patterns for obesity.
Conclusion
“Our findings support emerging evidence that the childhood obesity epidemic may lead to substantial problems of obesity-related disease much sooner in children and young people’s lives than previously expected,” the authors conclude. “With levels of admissions for obesity-related diagnoses rising, there is likely to be increasing demand on health services and also greater use of more radical interventions, such as pharmacological or surgical treatment, as part of efforts to address the increasing trend of obesity that threatens the lives of many children and young people in England and globally.”
Obesity is now the worlds biggest health care market. Currently the treatments are diet, exercise, appetite suppressants from Vivus and Arena pharmaceuticals, medical devices like the lap-band from Allergan and then novel medical devices like The DUO from Reshape, Endo-barrier from Gi Dynamics, GVS from Onciomed, Inc, Intra-gastric balloon from Obalon, Baronova.
These are a few companies that are at the top list of obesity intervention. But the problem is so profound and options so few that all these companies have a tremendous opportunity to grow or get acquired. Unfortunate that a company like Satiety was ahead of its time in adoption and regulatory process. The product had its limitations like the ( profile and navigation through the esophagus) would have been approved in the current regulatory environment and possibly be acquired for v high valuation. VCs were on the side lines and now returning to the obesity field to invest in new technologies.
The number of children admitted to hospital for problems related to obesity in England and Wales quadrupled between 2000 and 2009, according to the 'Rising Obesity-Related Hospital Admissions among Children and Young People in England: National Time Trends Study', by researchers at Imperial College London, UK.
Using the Hospital Episodes Statistics database, they reported on the number of hospital admissions for children and young people aged five to 19 where obesity was recorded in the diagnosis, between 2000 and 2009.
The study, published in the journal Plos One, states that in 2009 there were 3,806 children admitted to hospital for obesity-related conditions, compared with just 872 in 2000. Alarmingly, nearly three quarters of these admissions were to deal with problems complicated by obesity such as asthma, breathing difficulties during sleep and complications of pregnancy, rather than obesity itself being the primary reason.
"The burden of obesity is usually thought to have its serious consequences in adulthood, but we now see it manifesting earlier, in childhood," said Dr Sonia Saxena, from the School of Public Health at Imperial, who led the study. "It's clear that rising obesity levels are causing more medical problems in children, but the rise we observed probably also reflects increasing awareness among clinicians, who have become better at recognising obesity."
For this study the researchers defined total obesity admissions as comprising both primary and secondary diagnoses of obesity and reported on the number of children and young people who underwent bariatric surgical procedures for the management of obesity during the study period.
The found that between 2000 and 2009, age- and sex-specific hospital admission rates in 5–19 year olds for total obesity-related diagnoses increased more than four-fold from 93.0 (95% CI 86.0 to 100.0) per million children to 414.0 (95% CI 410.7 to 417.5) per million children, largely due to rising admissions where obesity was mentioned as a co-morbidity.
The median age of admission to hospital over the study period was 14.0 years; 5,566 (26.7%) admissions were for obesity and 15,319 (73.3%) mentioned obesity as a comorbidity (Table 1). Admissions were more common in girls than boys (56.2% v 43.8%) and the most common reasons for admission where obesity was a comorbid condition were sleep apnoea, asthma, and complications of pregnancy.
Overall admissions were more common in girls than boys (56.2% v 43.8%) and increased with age from 18.7%, 40.1% and 41.2% for age groups 5–9, 10–14 and 15–19 years respectively.
Table 1. Demographic
characteristics of children and young people admitted with
obesity-related diagnosis over the entire study period, by primary or
secondary diagnosis, 2000 to 2009.
Hospital admission rates for obesity increased almost four-fold from
21.0 (95% CI 17.5 to 24.5) per million children in 2000 to 78.8 (95% CI
77.0 to 80.6) in 2009. Admission rates for obesity as a comorbidity
increased from 70 (95% CI 65.6 to 78.4) per million children in 2000 to
335.3 (95% CI 332.3 to 338.3) per million children in 2009 (Figure 1).
Figure 1. Trends in age
and sex-specific hospital admission rates per million children among
children and young people ages 5 to 19 years, for obesity and where
obesity was a comorbidity, 2000–2009.
Bariatric surgery
Of the 20,885 children and young people admitted to hospitals in England during the study period, 111 patients had a bariatric surgery procedure performed during 2000 and 2009 and the number increased from one procedure in 2000 to 31 in 2009. Of those 111 patients, 109 were in the 15–19 years age group and only two were in the 10–14 years age group. The majority of these procedures (75.6%, n=84) were performed in girls and the median age was 18 years (Figure 2). Laparoscopic gastric banding was the most commonly performed bariatric surgical procedure, accounting for 36% (n=34) of procedures during the study period.
Figure 2. Number of
hospital admissions for bariatric surgery for children and young people
ages 13 to 19 years by sex, 2000 to 2009.
“We found that patients undergoing bariatric procedures were mainly
girls and the number of these procedures increased substantially during
our study period,” the authors write. “While the number of these
surgeries started from a very low base of one in the year 2000, and the
numbers are still lower than US estimates. The increase is large and
suggests that England may be moving towards the greater number of these
procedures seen in the US.”The researchers state that there needs to be a full economic analysis of the cost of managing and treating obesity in children and young people and future research should aim to identify target groups of children with higher prevalence of obesity and investigate how this compares with those treated for obesity-related conditions in hospitals in England.
In addition, they urge further researcher as to whether the publication of national guidelines have impacted on hospital admission patterns for obesity.
Conclusion
“Our findings support emerging evidence that the childhood obesity epidemic may lead to substantial problems of obesity-related disease much sooner in children and young people’s lives than previously expected,” the authors conclude. “With levels of admissions for obesity-related diagnoses rising, there is likely to be increasing demand on health services and also greater use of more radical interventions, such as pharmacological or surgical treatment, as part of efforts to address the increasing trend of obesity that threatens the lives of many children and young people in England and globally.”
Sunday, June 2, 2013
“Obesity: Global Public Health Challenge or Investment Opportunity?”
5 Responses for “Obesity: Global Public Health Challenge or Investment Opportunity?”
Monday, April 8, 2013
Promising Novel Technology from Onciomed, Inc: Great Opportunity in a Multi Billion Dollar Market
Irvine, Calif.-based medical device company Onciomed, Inc., has received a U.S. patent to treat obesity and diabetes with a path-breaking minimally invasive procedure.
“We restrict the stomach and imitate the procedure similar to gastric bypass surgery, without cutting portions of the stomach,” said Onciomed founder and CEO Dr. Raj Nihalani, who developed the device.“This technology helps us get to the next level of intervention without doing much harm,” he told India-West.
Nihalani has worked for nearly 17 years in the medical device sector — where he focused on cardiology research, invented devices for coronary stents, and worked at start-ups including Endologix ( acquired by larger company).
Nihalani said he was inspired to address major health issues not only in the U.S., but worldwide. His research led to his focus on obesity and diabetes, which he said is “one of the biggest healthcare markets in the world.”
Onciomed’s process involves a single incision laparoscopic procedure. Once in place, the GVS provides a feeling of “fullness and satiety” and reduces absorption of fat and glucose.
Nihalani noted that the company has the opportunity to expand to 20 additional patents. Currently, Onciomed is raising capital and inviting private investors to invest in its technologies. The goal is to do clinical trials outside the U.S, and eventually seek U.S. Food and Drug Administration approvals.
“With the invention of these novel products, what it does is it reduces the absorption of fat and glucose at the intestinal level which can help with diabetes prevention or reduce dependence. It can really help these patients not only lose weight, but correct diabetes status,” Nihalani said.
According to the World Health Organization, obesity has nearly doubled since 1980. In 2008, over 1.4 billion adults were overweight and more than half a billion were identified as obese. About 2.8 million people die from conditions related to being overweight or obese, the WHO said. More than one-third of adults in the U.S. and about 17% (12.5 million) children between the ages of 2-19 are obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“What we are working on is a very novel technology. We feel that this is the next big thing in the healthcare field, and I’m glad that I am one of the first Indians to get patents in the obesity and diabetes phase,” Nihalani told India-West.
A study, “South Asian American Perspectives on Overweight, Obesity, and the Relationship Between Weight and Health,” was recently published through the CDC. It looked at the effects of health and weight among South Asian Americans by interviewing 75 South Asian Americans and measuring their BMI (body mass index). About 67% of the participants in the study were identified as overweight or obese and about 82% of those who were obese believed their weight affected their health, according to the study.
South Asians have higher risks for both cardiovascular disease and Type 2 Diabetes than do most other ethnic groups, the study noted.
“Among all Asians in the United States, South Asians have the highest rates of overweight and obesity,” the study said.
Children are also at risk for diabetes and obesity, especially with dietary changes and accessibility to junk food and carbonated drinks. “For South Asian children, 14 percent are obese. It’s lower than the general U.S. population, but yet there is a tendency to be obese,” Nihalani said.
The Indian American entrepreneur explained that in recent years the size of portions offered to children at schools has dramatically changed. “How we eat and the way we eat has changed. Obesity trends have increased in the last two decades. Portions (children) are offered and complex carbohydrates have drastically affected wave points. It won’t end, so this is going to be a very big issue," he asserted.
“One in six kids is obese in the United States and one in 10 kids is obese in the South Asian population,” he emphasized.
Nihalani hopes to focus in the future on addressing childhood obesity and set aside a portion of the profits in his current venture towards that goal.
“I want to focus on how to connect the two worlds on the healthcare front and the ones in developing countries — how to connect the knowledge and infrastructure here and how to integrate that for healthcare," he said.
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To me, the obvious fix is to have everyone be more active more often and eat less. But who wants to do that? That would probably solve A TON of our problems, especially in the US, but people can come up with all kinds of excuses as to why neither of those options can fit into their lives.
It will be interesting to see the true impact (if any) this industry explosion will have on obesity. The complications of obesity put such a strain on healthcare systems all over the world–which is a shame because obesity is largely preventible (and, thus, its complications like type 2 diabetes, etc). When it comes down to it, any morally and ethically sound strategy for decreasing incidence and prevalence of obesity should be fully embraced, even if it means someone is going to make a killing in profit.
70 Million people are obese, of which 14 million are super obese and are approved by medicare to get invasive treatment like bariatric surgery.
The cost of surgery ranges from $35,000 to $85,000 you do the math.
Obesity was never a disease it was a medical condition, so no doctor knew how to deal with this, so now CDC has declared it as a disease as a result new treatment have emerged resulting in a tremendous investment opportunity. One such company developing a novel technology to treat obesity and diabetes is http://www.onciomed.com
This company is working on novel treatments and is located in Orange County. I just learned that their name ONCIOMED was derived from “Unit of weight Ounce”
I think in the next decade obesity clinics are going to be everywhere in the US. This is going to be the worlds biggest market! Cardiac surgeons are converting to become bariatric surgeon or obesity surgeon
So BOA and ML is correct, the disease has become an investment opportunity.
I
“Obesity is going to be the worlds biggest market” I agree. China is seeing an obesity epidemic.
Surprisingly, I was looking at the same website a few days ago. Onciomed.com they have not mentioned what they do, but the website videos are so informative.
I don’t see anything wrong if obesity is an investment opportunity. I would like people to modify their lifestyle and live health lives. But the fact is we are more addicted to the TV and the electronics and kids spend more time in front of a TV than the playground.
I had LASIK surgery, i remember, before the invention of LASIK procedure,
all ophthalmologist were ophthalmologist, after LASIK invention, everyone became a LASIK surgeon. I think the same is going to happen with Obesity. All bariatric surgeons will become obesity surgeons and it will not be a stigma to get treatment for obesity. Already insurance is paying for Lapband. That is a great surgery. I heard that the company who invented lapband sold the company to Allergan for over a $ Billion.
So surely, BOA_ML is right Obesity is a BIG investment opportunity.
ALso, good for patients, more investments will translate into new technologies. It’s an ecosystem.
I looked at Onciomed, Inc, Reshape, Obalon, GIdynamics and Valentx they all look very promising technologies. I like Onciomed, Inc and Reshape Medical and Obalon because they are in So Cal.