As the issue of weight management in the offshore workforce remains in the spotlight, a new Aberdeen company is offering companies and their employees a way of tackling the problem head-on, using clinically proven techniques which deliver long-term weight management solutions.
Earlier this year and following a series of helicopter incidents, the Civil Aviation Authority announced that, from April 1st 2015, a host of measures will be introduced in a bid to make it easier for passengers to exit aircraft in the event of an emergency, and the need to address the issue of weight management is at the forefront of the changes.
Against this backdrop and to offer expanded choice to all healthcare users in the region, The Aberdeen Clinic has been launched by Ken Park and Andrew Mackay. As well as weight management, the company provides access to immediate diagnosis and treatment across all areas of medicine and is supported by a team of associates. The Aberdeen Clinic is based in Cults and has modified pathways previously offered to individuals to be more applicable to a corporate market.
Ken Park of The Aberdeen Clinic said: “Any improvements in offshore safety are to be welcomed. In addition to the need to adhere to forthcoming changes for those travelling offshore, being overweight can have significant and wide-reaching implications for an employee in many areas of their life, and is known to be a major risk factor in conditions such as hypertension, cardiovascular disease, many cancers and diabetes. Indeed, a recent report in the British Medical Journal suggests that one in three people are pre-diabetic and, although the study is based on data from south of the border, there are undoubted implications for the Scottish population too.
“The aim of weight management programs should not be solely final weight but should deliver improvements in all obesity-related problems. Taking action in a carefully managed way which takes account of the person’s social and mental as well as physical wellbeing has been shown to be very successful and our methods, in conjunction with Counterweight, are already proving to be popular additions to the local marketplace.
Ken added: “According to the Scottish Health Survey 2008, more than half of the adult population in Scotland is overweight and a quarter is classified as obese. The aim of our weight management clinic is to achieve effective long-term weight management using solutions which are tailored to meet the needs of the individual and these will include setting and achieving realistic targets and maintaining a healthy weight.”