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Updated: May 1, 2026

Multidisciplinary Approach to Obesity Management: A Case Report
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Multidisciplinary Approach to Obesity Management: A Case Report

Published on: May 30, 2025

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Current status of the field of obesity

Richard L Atkinson1

  • 1Department of Pathology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA; Obetech Obesity Research Center, Richmond, VA, USA.

Trends in Endocrinology and Metabolism: TEM
|April 17, 2014
PubMed

Insights

Obesity medicine needs recognition, as current treatments often fail. Research into basic mechanisms and new drug development, informed by bariatric surgery, is crucial for effective obesity treatment.

Area of Science:

  • Obesity Medicine
  • Metabolic Research

Background:

  • Obesity is a complex medical condition requiring specialized treatment.
  • Current interventions like diet and exercise show limited long-term success.
  • The scarcity of effective pharmacotherapies highlights a significant treatment gap.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To advocate for the recognition of obesity as a distinct medical specialty.
  • To emphasize the need for enhanced research into obesity's fundamental mechanisms and diverse causes.
  • To explore the potential of bariatric surgery as a model for developing novel pharmacological treatments.

Main Methods:

  • Review of current obesity treatment modalities and their efficacy.
  • Analysis of the limitations in existing drug development for obesity.
  • Examination of bariatric surgery outcomes and their mechanistic insights.

Main Results:

  • Conventional obesity treatments (diet, exercise, lifestyle) exhibit high failure rates.
  • Existing obesity medications are limited in number and effectiveness.
  • Bariatric surgery demonstrates significant efficacy, offering valuable insights.

Conclusions:

  • Obesity medicine requires greater recognition and research focus.
  • Understanding obesity's basic science and etiologies is paramount.
  • Investigating bariatric surgery mechanisms can drive the development of superior drugs and treatments for obesity.
Keywords:
adipose tissuedrugsenergy balanceenergy expendituregut hormonesobesity surgery

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