Update on Treatment Strategies for Obesity

Abstract

Obesity is a disease that is defined as the accumulation of excessive amounts of body fat and is associated with increased risk of serious illness, disability, and death. In clinical practice, obesity is best assessed by calculating body mass index and measuring waist circumference. Treatment options are determined based on the body mass index, waist circumference, and adverse health consequences the patient is experiencing or is at an increased risk for facing in the future. Today, overweight and obesity impacts the majority of patients we treat in our clinical practices. Although endocrinologists are uniquely positioned to treat one of the major consequences of our current obesity epidemic, type 2 diabetes, we also need to be positioned and prepared to effectively treat one of its major causes-obesity. Type 2 diabetes and obesity are very much intertwined. Treatment of each disease affects the other. For these reasons, endocrinologists need to be experts in the treatment of obesity as well as diabetes. They should keep up with advances in obesity treatment including lifestyle, pharmaceutical, and surgical strategies. These strategies offer opportunities for improving the overall treatment for our obese patients today and will continue to improve and expand over the next decade.

Obesity and reproduction: a committee opinion

“…Obesity is a disease of excess body fat that is closely associated with insulin resistance (9)(10)(11). Categories of adult obesity are based upon body mass index (BMI) (12) (Table 1).…”

Double Burden of Malnutrition among Undergraduates in Ogun State Nigeria

“…This of course could explain the high rate of overweight and obesity observed among participants in the study. Comparatively, while it is easier to correct under-nutrition by simple measures, overweight and obesity result from complex mechanisms involving both biological and environmental factors which makes it difficult to manage and reverse the condition [19]. Tackling the problem of overweight and obesity at this younger age will prevent it from tracking into older age where it could compound health challenges associated with ageing.…”

Cold Exposure as A Natural Tool to Treat Obesity in Humans

“…Several approaches for treating obesity such as diet modification, increasing physical activity levels (behavioral approach), use of weight loss medications (pharmacological approach), exposure to lower ambient temperature/cold environment (physiological approach) as well as surgical procedures in appropriate patients could be considered [35][36][37][38][39]. Recently, sibutramine and rimonabant (anti-obesity drugs) are withdrawn for safety concerns [38,39].…”

“…Recently, sibutramine and rimonabant (anti-obesity drugs) are withdrawn for safety concerns [38,39]. and bariatric surgery is only applicable to a sub-group of obese patients [39,40]. It has been reported that transplantation of BAT corrected type 1 diabetes in immune-competent mice as was evident by reversal of diabetes symptoms, improved insulin sensitivity, weight regain and normalization of glucose tolerance [41].…”