The Weight Management Center at KFSH&RC-Jeddah is a new and successful program established to help individuals manage conditions of obesity and overweight, and conditions of underweight.

Obesity

What is “obesity and overweight”?

Obesity is an excess of body fat that frequently results in a significant impairment of health. Doctors generally agree that men with more than 25% body fat and women with more than 30% are obese.  Recognized since 1985 as a chronic disease, obesity is the second leading cause of preventable death, exceeded only by cigarette smoking.

Health problems associated with overweight and obesity:

1.   Type 2 diabetes

1.       Dyslipidemia

2.       Insulin resistance

3.       Gallbladder disease

4.       Obstructive sleep apnea and respiratory problems

5.       Cardiovascular disease (e.g. coronary heart disease and ischemic stroke)

6.       Hypertension

7.       Osteoarthritis

8.       Some types of cancer (breast, endometrial, colon, prostate and kidney)

9.       Psychosocial problems

10.   Functional limitations

11.   Impaired fertility

     12.   Other heath complications

Losing weight can help reduce these risks.

Underweight

Being underweight can mean that you're not getting all the nutrients you need and, without these, your health will suffer.

You may also be lacking in body fat, which cushions your internal organs, stores energy and keeps you warm.  Also, body fat helps maintain estrogen levels in women.

Other health problems associated with underweight:

1.       Under-nutrition

2.       Osteoporosis

3.       Infertility

4.       Impaired immunocompetence

5.       Anaemia

6.       Dry skin

7.       Hair loss

8.       Weak immune system

9.       Exhaustion

10.   Depression

     11.   Emotional distress

Scope of Service

General

There are many obesity treatment strategies.  What works for you may not be the best method for someone else.  At the Weight Management Center (WMC) we take the time to teach our patients good eating habits, which last a lifetime.  We also teach them how to make wise nutritional choices that will help them easily make the transition from their weight loss program into everyday eating, to help them keep off the excess weight.  Our patients at WMC receive a personalized consultation before we work together to help match the program that best fits their lifestyle.  Our flexible meal plans give you choices so that you can manage your diet with ease.  Our meal plans can be easily implemented when dining out and during special events.

We take great pride in delivering comprehensive, medically supervised and effective services for all our patients.  We provide professional services, which consist of outstanding one-on-one assessment and support by a clinical dietician, weighing on each visit, BMI calculation, body composition analyses, and a continuous monitoring of baseline vital signs and general health.

When a patient first walks in, we conduct a pre-diet testing and evaluation process that will help us select the most effective program.  This process consists of completing a medical questionnaire and a food frequency questionnaire.  Then our WMC nurse will do the necessary blood tests to help ensure a safe weight loss program.

Special

In addition to the general weight loss plans, the WMC provides special, customized plans for individuals who require special diets to either reduce their weight or control their condition. Such cases include:

4      Diabetes

4      Hypertension

4      High cholesterol

4      Hypoglycemia

4      Renal diseases

4      Anemia

And many more…….

Education

Our department offers seminars and presentations, which are given to both department staff members and to staff members from different departments.  This practice enables us to share and exchange the knowledge, hence improving our work and services.

Seminars and presentations scheduled for the Nutrition department are conducted by a member of the staff each week on selected topics, such as case studies and the latest published research. 

Public

The aim of the public educational material we provide is to spread the message and show how proper nutritional habits are major components for a healthier life.

Seminars and lectures are conducted by clinical dieticians on various topics.  These seminars and lectures are given to the public of various age groups and educational levels and are conducted both inside and outside KFSH&RC-Jeddah.