REVIEW   

Panminerva Medica 2021 December;63(4):539-46

DOI: 10.23736/S0031-0808.21.04540-7

Copyright © 2021 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

lingua: Inglese

The role of the nurse in the Obesity Clinic: a practical guideline

Luigi BARREA ^{1, 2} ✉, Lydia FRAMONDI ³, Rossana DI MATTEO ³, Ludovica VERDE ³, Claudia VETRANI ⁴, Chiara GRAZIADIO ^{2, 3}, Gabriella PUGLIESE ^{2, 3}, Daniela LAUDISIO ^{2, 3}, Giovanni VITALE ^{5, 6}, Anna Maria IANNICELLI ⁷, Silvia SAVASTANO ^{2, 3}, Annamaria COLAO ^{2, 3, 8}, Giovanna MUSCOGIURI ^{2, 3, 8}

¹ Dipartimento di Scienze Umanistiche, Università Telematica Pegaso, Naples, Italy; ² Centro Italiano per la Cura e il Benessere del Paziente con Obesità (C.I.B.O), Endocrinology Unit, Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University Medical School of Naples, Naples, Italy; ³ Unit of Endocrinology, Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University Federico II, Naples, Italy; ⁴ Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University Federico II, Naples, Italy; ⁵ Laboratory of Geriatric and Oncologic Neuroendocrinology Research, Istituto Auxologico Italiano, IRCCS, Cusano Milanino, Milan, Italy; ⁶ Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, University of Milan, Milan, Italy; ⁷ Department of Translational Medical Sciences, University Federico II, Naples, Italy; ⁸ Cattedra Unesco “Educazione alla Salute e allo Sviluppo Sostenibile”, University Federico II, Naples, Italy

Obesity is a major public health issue, and its trend is increasing worldwide. Interventions to effectively treat obesity and its related diseases are advocated. Given the complexity of obesity management, nurses need specific core skills to work in the Obesity Clinic and can act as key players in the multidisciplinary team of the Obesity Clinic. To provide practical guidelines for nurses working in Obesity Clinic for effective management of obesity and its related diseases, the current evidence on the role nurses in the obesity clinic was reviewed. Nurses can play a pivotal role in the management of patients with obesity and associated diseases that may require a stricter follow-up than usual care. Given the complexity of the treatment of obesity and its comorbidity, nurses should receive a specific training for: 1) methods and tools to effectively treat obesity and obesity-related disease; 2) patients and families education on nutrition, lifestyle changes, and prevention/management of obesity-related diseases; 3) motivation of patients towards adherence to treatment to achieve their specific goals. This review highlights the need of specific core skills for nurses working in the Obesity Clinic.

KEY WORDS: Obesity; Nursing care; Type 2 diabetes mellitus; Hypertension