Top Ten Things Every Clinician Should Know About Treating Obesity

Authors:
Jennifer N. Clements, PharmD, BCPS, BCACP, CDCES, BC-ADM
Seena L. Haines, PharmD., BCACP, NBC-HWC, CHWC

Reviewers:
Cynthia Knapp Dlugosz, BSPharm, NBC-HWC
Stuart T Haines, PharmD, BCPS, BCACP

Introduction:

Obesity is a chronic, progressive, multi-factorial, neurobehavioral disease characterized by excessive adipose tissue. It is a common, serious, and costly condition in both adults and children. It was now recognized by the American Medical Association as a “disease” requiring treatment and public health efforts to screen and prevent it. There are multiple ways to measure and categorize weight (body mass index [BMI], weight, waist circumference).  Nearly three out of every four adults in the United States are overweight or living with obesity, and the prevalence has nearly tripled worldwide since 1975. In addition, approximately 1 in 5 children are living with obesity based on BMI. Living with obesity has been estimated to shorten an individual’s lifespan by 8 years when the body mass index is above 40 kg/m². While the pathophysiology is complex, obesity increases the risk for many health problems including cardiovascular disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, asthma, obstructive sleep apnea, certain cancers, and osteoarthritis. Estimated annual obesity-related direct medical costs exceeded $170 billion in 2019.

Here are the top ten things every clinician should know about treating obesity.