Endoscopic treatments for obesity: past, present and future

Obesity is recognized as a serious, chronic illness affecting all ages. The cause for obesity is multi-factorial, which makes successful management complex and challenging. Meaningful weight loss is frequently difficult to achieve, particularly when the goal is not merely to lose weight but to maintain this loss. The efficacy of future endoscopic approaches needs to be validated through well-designed controlled studies, and verification of safety is essential. Endoluminal therapies must have a sound physiologic basis for their development. The availability of specialized radionuclide imaging of gastric capacity and accommodation provide a useful tool in constructing interventions. Endotherapy is likely best suited for nonmorbid obese individuals with BMI ranging from 30 to 39 or as a budge to bariatric surgery. This specific BMI range has been targeted by the National Institutes of Health for emerging technologies. Presurgical weight loss to reduce surgical risk is another potential target group. Regardless of which endoscopic methods prevail, patients will continue to require a comprehensive, multi-modality management approach to this complex disease.