Pharmacotherapy in Treatment of Obesity

Common disease states in gastroenterology are more effectively treated in an obese patient when weight loss is incorporated into the treatment plan. Strategies that seek to achieve weight loss improve outcomes in the treatment of hepatitis C, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and colorectal cancer, as examples. Pharmacologic therapy is an important adjunctive intervention that improves both short-term and long-term outcomes in the management of obese patients. This article reviews currently available drug therapy with a focus on pharmacotherapy approved long-term weight management in non-diabetic obese individuals since 2012, encouraging the use of these tools in the practice of gastroenterology.