Obesity and Trauma

Obesity is a huge problem worldwide, and the number of obese people in society continues to increase at an alarming rate. Trauma is a constant issue and affects most people at some time in their lives. Obese patients have a higher risk of morbidity and mortality following trauma than non-obese patients. Obese patients have a different spectrum of injury than non-obese patients and have a higher risk of complications following injury and treatment. Due to the emergent nature of trauma, preoperative weight loss is not appropriate after the injury has occurred. The focus for the trauma surgeon (and anaesthetist) must be on anticipating potential preoperative, perioperative, and postoperative complications. These potential complications are well documented in the scientific literature, and their management should be anticipated and managed appropriately. As the medical comorbidities, inherent obesity in trauma patients cannot be fully addressed after the traumatic injury has occurred, it seems logical that these issues be addressed prior to the injury occurring. This should be in the form of education for the general public about the problems associated with traumatic injuries in obese individuals, and a focused approach to preventing further increases in the obese population, reducing the BMI of those already affected by obesity.