Medical Therapy for the Patient With Obesity

A lthough the prevalence of overweight in the UnitedStates during the past decade has been stable and the median body mass index (BMI), at least in women, may have remained constant, 1,2 the prevalence of obesity now exceeds 34% of US adults, 1 and the prevalence of more severe obesity continues to rise at alarming rates.Excessive weight is a problem for children and adolescents, as well.3 The fundamental problem underlying obesity is a small, but prolonged, positive energy balance, where energy derived from food exceeds energy expended for everyday living.3,4 Obesity is associated with many illnesses that are related to and may be caused by excess fat. 5 Selection of medications for these associated conditions should take into consideration the effect of the selected drugs on body weight, because obesity is a root cause in most cases.