Obesity

Obesity is a substantial public health crisis in the United States and in the rest of the industrialized world. The prevalence is increasing rapidly in numerous industrialized nations worldwide. This growing rate represents a pandemic that needs urgent attention if obesity’s potential toll on morbidity, mortality, and economics is to be avoided. Research into the […] Read More

Among the standard bariatric procedures are the following: Gastric bypass; Adjustable gastric banding; Gastric sleeve surgery; Vertical sleeve gastrectomy; Horizontal gastroplasty; Vertical-banded gastroplasty; Duodenal-switch procedures; Biliopancreatic bypass; Biliopancreatic diversion. Read More

Currently, the 3 major groups of drugs used to manage obesity are as follows: Centrally acting medications that impair dietary intake; Medications that act peripherally to impair dietary absorption; Medications that increase energy expenditure. Setmelanotide is the first drug approved for weight management in patients with rare genetic conditions (proopiomelanocortin [POMC], proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type […] Read More

Laboratory studies; Fasting lipid panel; Liver function studies; Thyroid function tests; Fasting glucose and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c). Read More

The clinician should also determine whether the patient has had any of the comorbidities related to obesity, including the following: Respiratory: Obstructive sleep apnea, greater predisposition to respiratory infections, increased incidence of bronchial asthma, and Pickwickian syndrome (obesity hypoventilation syndrome). Malignant: Reported association with endometrial (premenopausal), prostate, colon (in men), rectal (in men), breast (postmenopausal), […] Read More

Nevertheless, the prevalence of inactivity in industrialized countries is considerable and relevant to the rise in obesity. In the United States, less than half of all adults meet the federal 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines, and fewer than 3 in 10 high school students get at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day. Read More

The etiology of obesity is far more complex than simply an imbalance between energy intake and energy output. Although this view allows easy conceptualization of the various mechanisms involved in the development of obesity, obesity is far more than simply the result of eating too much and/or exercising too little (see the energy-balance equation, below). […] Read More

Although several classifications and definitions for degrees of obesity are accepted, the most widely accepted classifications are those from the World Health Organization (WHO), based on body mass index (BMI). The WHO designations are as follows: Grade 1 overweight (commonly and simply called overweight) – BMI of 25-29.9 kg/m2; Grade 2 overweight (commonly called obesity) […] Read More

Obesity is a substantial public health crisis in the United States, and internationally, with the prevalence increasing rapidly in numerous industrialized nations.  Read More

Obese people have an unhealthy and abnormally high percentage of body fat. To measure obesity, researchers use a formula that is based on an individual’s weight and height, known as the body mass index (BMI = weight in kg / m2). Obesity is defined as a BMI above 30. Read More