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Obesity refers to being more than 20% over your desirable weight. Unfortunately, it is all too common in the developed world where our modern lifestyle tends to make us eat more and move less.
Obesity and its associated disorders are leading causes of morbidity and premature mortality around the world. Obese persons are also vulnerable to low self-esteem and depression because of the psychological and social stigmata that can be associated with obesity. Despite societal prejudicial perceptions that obesity develops because of deficient self-control, research has provided insight into the physiology behind unwanted weight gain. Indeed, during the past decade, the field of body-weight regulation (the study of the homeostatic mechanisms controlling body weight and fat content and the pathophysiology leading to unwanted weight gain or weight loss) has undergone an explosion in research, particularly in the area of neuroendocrine control of appetite and energy expenditure. As with other leading diseases in developed countries, such as hypertension and diabetes, obesity is recognized as a chronic condition resulting from an interaction between environmental influences and an individual's genetic predisposition to weight gain.
The initial evaluation of overweight and obese patients begins with the exclusion of secondary causes of weight gain and the identification of comorbid disorders such as hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, and sleep apnea. Once screening is completed, the approach to the treatment of overweight and obesity is similar to that of other chronic diseases: begin with lifestyle improvements, and then consider medical and surgical options. Although the weight loss that accompanies current therapeutic options is modest on average, the future promises better diagnostic and treatment options for obesity that are based on research into the mechanisms of weight regulation and their role in unwanted weight gain and maintenance of the obese state.