Obesity is a major public health issue with wide spread health and societal impacts. In 2018/2019 a New Zealand public health survey found that 1 in 3 adults over 15 years of age were obese with equity disparities highlighted in the greater prevalence of obesity found in Pacific Island and Maori ethnic groups and those living in socioeconomically deprived areas.
Since then the world has been hit by the COVID-19 pandemic and tackling the obesity epidemic seems even more urgent as increasing evidence suggests that obesity is an independent risk factor for severe illness and death from COVID-19. Measures to contain the virus such as isolation, curtailment in surgical services and physical activity may increase the risk of metabolic disease and weight gain.
Primary care services provide essential assistance to this societal issue. Primary health practitioners are often the first point of contact in the health system and are well placed to identify, assess and support patients to attain and maintain a healthy weight that in turn will enable them to reduce morbidity risk and live well.
Endocrinologist and obesity expert Dr Rinki Murphy will outline the approach to weight management in the time of COVID-19. Concise, patient-centred management with current available and incoming treatments will be discussed.
Presenter
Rinki Murphy
Rinki Murphy is an Associate Professor in Medicine at the University of Auckland and Principle investigator at the Maurice Wilkins Centre for Biodiscovery. She is a diabetologist at Auckland and Counties Manukau DHBs.
