The recent death of the singer Paulinha Bee and that of the nurse Mara Abreu after using products and drugs to try to lose weight, Sbem (Brazilian Society of Endocrinology and Metabology) and Abeso (Brazilian Association for the Study of Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome) publish, Thursday (17) , a note in which they warn of the dangers in the search for unorthodox solutions to eliminate a few kilos.
Paulinha Abelha made sporadic use of diuretics and teas. Mara had a herbal tea of 50 herbs sold on the internet as weight loss. The two, until then in good health, ended up in the hospital and could not resist.
The note cites a survey carried out by Abeso and Sbem this year which shows that 18.7% of the 3,621 people questioned “have resorted to unorthodox approaches, such as teas, products sold on the internet, herbal and over-the-counter medications. , which the entities describe as “very worrying and with a strong negative impact on public health”.
The text also points out that obesity “is a chronic, complex, multifactorial, recurrent and progressive disease, with a high and growing prevalence in the world and in Brazil”.
“Although knowledge about obesity has evolved considerably in recent years, unfortunately, many misconceptions and distorted perceptions are still common in society and even among health professionals, promoting prejudice against the patient, the disease and the treatment of obesity itself. The way to reduce prejudice and improve care for obese people is through information”, continue Sbem and Abeso.
The search for miracle solutions involves a high risk of complications. Paulinha Abelha suffered severe kidney damage, which evolved into her nervous system. Mara Abreu had liver problems, she even had a transplant, but her body rejected the organ.
Research conducted by the entities also shows that 63.2% of people who tried to lose weight did so by changing their diet and physical activity.
In a recent interview with R7the vice-president of the Obesity Department of the Brazilian Society of Endocrinology and Metabology of Sbem, Márcio Mancini, drew attention to the fact that most obese people (BMI greater than 30) cannot lose of weight only with diet and exercise. .
In these cases, certain drugs authorized by the Anvisa (National Health Surveillance Agency) may be beneficial, provided that the entire treatment is accompanied by a doctor. Self-medication, even if the medicine seems harmless, can cause serious damage to health.
“Obesity should be treated and treated as a disease. Before getting obesity, there is the weight gain of people who are still in a normal situation. The point is to do it responsibly”, did he declare.
