Obesity surgery on rise but no Medicare rebates for dietitians
Date Updated:
More Australians than ever before are opting for gastric banding in an attempt to shed weight.
The latest figures show around 17,000 Australians in 2007-08 chose obesity surgery – up from 500 surgeries carried out in 1998-99.
But the Dietitians Association of Australia has revealed while $15.2 million in Medicare rebates was paid for weight loss surgery-related procedures in 2007-08, Medicare does not cover the dietary management of obesity either before or after weight loss surgery.
Dietitians Association of Australia CEO Claire Hewat said despite obesity surgery figures reaching an all-time high, people with a chronic and complex condition had no access to rebates to see an Accredited Practising Dietitian.
“People who are morbidly obese often have other health problems like diabetes and heart disease, or are ticking time bombs for developing these conditions,” she said.
“So it is critical, even after weight loss surgery, that they have annual blood tests and dietary intake checks.”
DAA spokesperson Melanie McGrice said people who have had gastric banding often suffer from nutritional deficiencies such as protein, iron, folate and calcium, compared to those who haven’t had surgery to lose weight.
Ms McGrice, who convenes the DAA’s obesity interest group, recently had a report on the role of gastric banding and its implications published in the Australian journal, Nutrition Management in General Practice.
Ms McGrice said while obesity surgery was a safe and effective tool to help morbidly obese people shed kilos, it doesn’t teach them how to eat well and stay healthy.
“The down-side is that nutritional deficiencies are more common because post-surgery these people often eat smaller portion sizes, avoid certain foods or eat a poor quality diet,” she said.
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