American's too fat

[TURBO3000]

TweetFrom CNN.com

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- More and more obese people are unable to get full medical care because they are either too big to fit into scanners, or their fat is too dense for X-rays or sound waves to penetrate, radiologists reported Tuesday.

With 64 percent of the U.S. population either overweight or obese, the problem is worsening, but it represents a business opportunity for equipment makers and hospitals, said Dr. Raul Uppot, a radiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital.

"We noticed over the past couple of years that obesity was playing a role in our ability to see these images clearly," Uppot said in a telephone interview.

Radiologists have have their own term for it when writing up reports: "These images are limited due to body habitus."

Uppot's team looked for this phrase in radiology reports from 1989 to 2003. These included standard X-rays, computer assisted X-rays known as CT scans, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET).

These scans are used to look for tumors, blood clots, broken limbs and other injuries and diseased organs.

"Overall, 7,778 or 0.15 percent of 5,253,014 reports were habitus limited," they wrote in the August issue of the journal Radiology.

"It essentially doubled over the last 15 years," Uppot said.

The researchers looked more closely at the records of 200 of the patients, who weighed, on average, 239 pounds.

"It is a major issue because ... the patient may still have a tumor, the patient may have appendicitis, the patient may have other inflammatory processes," Uppot said.

"This is affecting radiologists all over the country."

Ultrasounds are most affected, Uppot said.

"In an obese person because the ultrasound beam does not get to the organs or get to them adequately enough we cannot get a picture. It looks like a snowstorm -- I don't know if you have seen those televisions where it is just whiteout? It looks like that."

An MRI can get a good picture if the patient can fit into the tube or get onto the table, Uppot said. Some manufacturers have started to make MRI machines with larger-bore holes, but with the cost in the millions of dollars per machine, only large groups or institutions can afford them.

Siemens Medical Solutions of Siemens AG has seen the market potential. "Increase Your Physician Referral Base with 1.5 Tesla MRI for Obese and Claustrophobic Patients" the company says on its Internet website https://www.medical.siemens.com.

"It is a market out there. People who are taking advantage of it are making money," Uppot said. "We are in the process of buying and installing three of these machines."

One problem is with gastric bypass surgery, where the patients are by definition obese, Uppot said.

"If there is some complication -- abdominal pain or and infection or fever -- they are invariably at higher risk of not being able to be imaged with a CT or MRI," Uppot said.

"For the surgeon, he doesn't want to take the patient back to surgery to explore to see what the problem is," he added.

"For the patient, not knowing what is going on is a big issue. If you tell a patient 'I am sorry -- we just can't sit you on our CT scanner', that is devastating to hear."

Copyright 2006 Reuters. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

[Rage]

TweetIt's our national shame! Fattest country in the world (other than some South Pacific Islands).

[mick-G]

TweetWhats funny is that when these obese ppl go to these centers and treatment, they don't seem to dwell much on excersise. So when they go back home they get back to their old ways, and most of the time the family is also obese and they don't really get involved with helping that person, cause they have the same prob.

[supasaiyan99]

TweetVery sad!!! I think it's so common now that people think something is wrong with you if you aren't fat!

[NATE]

TweetIt's all a conspiracy.Our gov influences the fda, the fda sets the standards. What The fda is supposed to be saving us from has saturated the country, we get fat, sick, diseased and get treated. The medical field makes tons of cash, the food industry makes tons of cash and where do you think all the kickbacks end up??? hmmmmm not only are we the fattest country in the world, we are the most ignorant as well.

[mtnmedic]

TweetIt is sad, and its because people just dont have to care anymore. Everything comes in a little pill or just microwave and eat. you see how much people care,...about themselves, and how they treat eachother nowadays,.... on the road, at work, making war. It's sadening,..very sadening. and its never going to get better.

[TURBO3000]

Tweet

It's all a conspiracy.Our gov influences the fda, the fda sets the standards. What The fda is supposed to be saving us from has saturated the country, we get fat, sick, diseased and get treated. The medical field makes tons of cash, the food industry makes tons of cash and where do you think all the kickbacks end up??? hmmmmm not only are we the fattest country in the world, we are the most ignorant as well.

Very well put.

[Rage]

Tweet

It's all a conspiracy.Our gov influences the fda, the fda sets the standards. What The fda is supposed to be saving us from has saturated the country, we get fat, sick, diseased and get treated. The medical field makes tons of cash, the food industry makes tons of cash and where do you think all the kickbacks end up??? hmmmmm not only are we the fattest country in the world, we are the most ignorant as well.

Huh? The American government and FDA want Americans to be fat so medical treatments for obesity can reap profits? OK.

[DJDIGGLER]

Tweet

It's all a conspiracy.Our gov influences the fda, the fda sets the standards. What The fda is supposed to be saving us from has saturated the country, we get fat, sick, diseased and get treated. The medical field makes tons of cash, the food industry makes tons of cash and where do you think all the kickbacks end up??? hmmmmm not only are we the fattest country in the world, we are the most ignorant as well.

I'd rep you if I could brotha!

[solidground]

Tweet

It's all a conspiracy.Our gov influences the fda, the fda sets the standards. What The fda is supposed to be saving us from has saturated the country, we get fat, sick, diseased and get treated. The medical field makes tons of cash, the food industry makes tons of cash and where do you think all the kickbacks end up??? hmmmmm not only are we the fattest country in the world, we are the most ignorant as well.

exactly..plus half the medicine they give us makes us sicker so then we need more medicine and so on..its a great system they have to make money, but sad. corporations rule our country along with our government

[NATE]

Tweet

Huh? The American government and FDA want Americans to be fat so medical treatments for obesity can reap profits? OK.

Thats exactly what i meant....

[NATE]

Tweet

exactly..plus half the medicine they give us makes us sicker so then we need more medicine and so on..its a great system they have to make money, but sad. corporations rule our country along with our government

its no secret that they flood the market with crap medicine/cures to help you with the last "new and improved" medicine they flooded the market with. One product is a precursor to the next. Flood the market with product A then yank it before it starts killing people and flood the market with product B ( bc it's better/safer than product A......

Or take ephedrine for example. They took it off the market bc it works and its safer than most if not all over the counter fat loss products. It failrly cheap,people safely lose weight and become healthier and theres no money to be made in that.

[mtnmedic]

TweetHealthy food is expensive,...and you have to prepare it. People are just too damn lazy.