University Hospital Galway Obesity Service acknowledges World Obesity Day

Tuesday 4th March is World Obesity Day and specialists in the Obesity Service, Galway University Hospitals (GUH) are raising awareness of this year’s theme; ‘Changing systems for healthier lives’. This campaign calls upon everyone to be a part of positive change needed to deal with obesity. 

Dr Sarah Summerville, a Specialist Clinical Psychologist at GUH, says “Until recently, the complex nature of obesity was not fully understood. It is now recognised as a biological, clinical disorder rather than as a reflection of an individual’s intelligence or personality and is affecting about one in four adults in Ireland. We all have a responsibility to compassionately understand and manage our own beliefs about weight, which are often shaped over generations and driven by media and industry.

“Within the Bariatric Psychology Service in GUH our aim is to provide an accessible, effective and person-centred psychological service aimed at maximising the health, well-being and quality of life of all adults living with obesity. Psychological care is focused on evidenced-based principles of chronic disease management based on lived experiences and moves beyond simplistic approaches of ‘eat less, exercise more’.”

Obesity is a complex, progressive and relapsing chronic disease that impairs both physical and mental health.

The specialist obesity service at GUH was established in 2011 but has recently expanded significantly under the direction of the HSE’s National Clinical Programme for Obesity. The service now has a full multidisciplinary team, with psychological, medical, surgical, anaesthetic, nursing, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, social work and dietetic expertise.

This has been a major development for patients with severe and complicated obesity not just regionally, but nationally with patients coming from all over Ireland.  Cork patient Aidan Dalton underwent bariatric surgery in UHG in August 2023. 

“The team gave me hope and my life back. I was losing lots of weight myself and then gaining it all back. I went to a talk in Croi house with Professor Finucane and that got the ball rolling. The team here just changed my life, the doctors, psychologists, dietician. They were just amazing. The nurse Caitriona Lynch saved my life, she saw me at my lowest,” he added.

The ethos in the clinical team is one of non-judgmental, timely, compassionate, evidence-based clinical care. There is a very strong focus on clinical research, delivered in close collaboration with the University of Galway. “This keeps us up to date with the very best drug treatments, the most effective structured lifestyle programmes and the latest obesity surgery techniques,” says Francis Finucane, Consultant Endocrinologist on the team. “Access to these really effective treatments continues to be a challenge, but we are working to address this all of the time, and things are improving.”

Chris Kane, Hospital Manager, GUH added; “It is important to acknowledge the incredible work being carried out by our Obesity team who are seeing approximately 2,000 new patients every year from all over the country.”

“As healthcare professionals, we have a responsibility to ‘make every contact count’ and invite open, non-judgemental conversation about weight just as we would any other health condition,” says Síle Ní Mhaille, the Senior Occupational Therapist on the team. “In order to empower people with effective strategies and treatment plans that target the myriad of factors maintaining obesity, we must be compassionate, always.”

“We’ve learned that to shame and judge only further compounds weight stigma, limiting the opportunity for growth and engagement. On World Obesity Day 2025 we ask that everyone takes an interest in the role that systems play in driving obesity, and how these can be changed to support better health for everyone,” she added.