Management of Overweight and Obesity in Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Increasing evidence has linked obesity to complications of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD); however, data are limited on the efficacy and impact of weight management strategies on the disease course. There are a strikingly limited number of interventional studies on weight management in patients with IBD, and the recent nutrition and IBD guidelines published in the United States do not mention weight management strategies. Overweight and obesity management in patients with IBD should follow a stepwise approach to assessment and treatment, including lifestyle modification, anti-obesity medications such as glucagon-like peptide-1 agonists, endobariatric procedures, and bariatric surgery (if deemed appropriate). This article reviews the management of overweight and obesity in patients with IBD, examines the efficacy of currently available interventions and their impact on the IBD course, and proposes a stepwise approach to the assessment and treatment of overweight or obesity for the IBD provider.