Prague hospital opens special 'XXL Clinic' as obesity surges nationwide

Rising obesity rates in Czechia have seen more people needing medical treatment, which has led to the recent opening of a special obesity department – named the XXL Clinic – at a major Prague hospital. Doctors warn that obesity rates across Czechia are likely to continue, putting strain on the country’s health.

The General University Hospital (VFN) in Prague 2 opened its XXL Clinic last week, which features larger (and more) beds that can hold patients weighing up to 500 kilograms. It also features some specialist equipment. "Until now, up to 10 nurses had to handle morbidly obese patients, now – thanks to a new suspension system – two nurses can handle them, so work will be much easier," added a head doctor at VFN, Jarmila Křížová.

The new department dedicated solely to obese patients will also feature new equipment catering to larger patients, such as larger CT or magnetic resonance scanning devices (as standard sizes are too small for obese patients to fit in). It will offer bariatric surgery to obese people to help manage their condition.

"We treat more than 100 extremely obese patients per year for comprehensive care, for example for pre-operative preparations or to deal with other health complications, which they often have," head of VFN’s Diabetology and Obesity Center of the General University Martin Prázný told Czech Radio. Prázný explained that the opening of the new clinic was “essential” because the lack of necessary equipment complicates routine examinations for extremely obese patients.

Doctors warn that obesity is the most widespread disease in Czechia and can lead to serious health problems such as type 2 diabetes, elevated cholesterol levels, and poor vascular permeability. "The key is to start obesity treatment early. Most of the work has to be done by patients themselves, by changing their lifestyle. But doctors can help, among other things, with surgery," recommended Prázný.

The Czech Republic has seen an upsurge rise in obesity, with more than 60 percent of adults and a quarter of 11-year-old boys suffering from overweightness or obesity. According to Prázný, the number of obese Czechs will continue to increase. "People are getting fatter, following the trend of other developed Western countries. A model of Czechia’s future could be the U.S., where more than half of the population is expected to be obese by 2040."