Bariatric

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˌbæɹiˈætɹɪk/

Definitions

1. Connected to the medical discipline focusing on obesity management and interventions designed to reduce weight for individuals with excessive body mass
2. Involving healthcare practices aimed at alleviating conditions caused by excessive weight, often through surgical or non-surgical means
3. Relating to the field of medicine dedicated to treating obesity, including interventions that promote weight loss and manage associated health issues

Etymology: "Bariatric" is built from two Ancient Greek words: "barús," meaning "heavy," and "iatrós," meaning "doctor" or "healer." The second element appears in many medical terms, such as "pediatric" (from "pais," child) and "geriatric" (from "gēras," old age), and the "-ic" ending simply makes the combined form an adjective meaning "relating to" the field. The word is a modern coinage. The Greeks had no concept of a specialty devoted to obesity, so the term was assembled from classical parts to name a new branch of medicine, rather than inherited from ancient usage. Its literal sense, "heavy-doctor," describes the field's focus on the weight of the body itself as the problem being treated.