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Friday 27 May 2016 11:20am

Recommendations for bariatric treatment to be considered as a standard treatment for Type 2 diabetes has attracted debate in New Zealand.

Associate Professor  Jeremy Krebs, EDOR member and immediate past president of the New Zealand Society for the Study of Diabetes, has outlined his concerns in an interview on Radio New Zealand. He explains it is not as simple as a matter of resourcing, but is part of a much more complex picture to target the right treatment for the right patient.

New Zealand currently has about 250,000 people living with diabetes, with the vast majority having type 2 diabetes. While bariatric surgery has an important place in the treatment of obesity and diabetes, it is not the right treatment for everybody.  Associate Professor Krebs argues that nutrition and dietary interventions, and medications need greater emphasis. It is important to target bariatric surgery to those most likely to benefit.

Listen to the Radio New Zealand interview:

Gastric surgery recommended as direct treatment for diabetes, Radio NZ website, 25 May, 2016 (3min 51sec)

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