[Integrated multidisciplinary treatment modalities for obesity]

The rapid increase of obesity nationwide and worldwide has threatened human health and caused the increase of metabolic diseases and the changes of disease spectrum. Its co-morbidities, mortality, and relevant socio-economic issues have became global concerns. Integrated multidisciplinary treatment modalities have emerged in recent years. For severely obese patients body mass index (BMI>40 kg/m(2) or obese patients (BMI 35 - 40 kg/m(2)) with co-morbidities such as severe diabetes, obesity-associated cardiac lesions, severe sleep apnea, infertility, and osteoarthritis that affect the daily life, minimally invasive laparoscopic bariatric surgery (such as Lap Banding) can achieve satisfactory results by reducing body weight in long term, treating or preventing the co-morbidities, and ultimately decreasing mortality. Multidisciplinary treatment modalities for tumors, obesity, and other diseases have been widely adopted. This strategy may play increasingly important roles in improving the treatment effectiveness, upgrading healthcare services, and addressing interdisciplinary problems.