Medical Treatment of Obesity

About this book

Over recent decades obesity has moved from an individual concern to one of the most significant global public health crises. Its rising prevalence reduces quality of life and drives a substantial increase in non-communicable disease — type 2 diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, musculoskeletal disorders, and certain cancers — making it a leading contributor to premature mortality and a major burden on health systems.

Healthy nutrition, regular activity, adequate sleep, and stress management remain the cornerstone of treatment. But the evidence is clear that for a substantial proportion of patients these interventions alone do not achieve or sustain long-term weight loss. The complexity of body weight regulation — hormonal, neural, metabolic, and genetic factors, together with the body's adaptive response to weight loss — explains why so many people experience repeated treatment failure despite genuine effort.

In those circumstances, targeted pharmacotherapy can be an effective adjunct. Modern obesity medicines are not limited to appetite suppression: they act on hormonal pathways, satiety, energy metabolism, and eating behaviour. Their use demands adequate knowledge, appropriate patient selection, careful monitoring, and a clear-eyed understanding of adverse effects and limitations.

This book offers a scientific, current, and practical guide to using these medicines rationally — presenting pharmacotherapy not as a substitute for lifestyle change, but as one part of a comprehensive, individualised, and sustainable approach.

What the book covers