[Obesity meets Inflammatory Bowel Disease - a Double Whammy? A narrative Review]

Obesity is increasingly recognised as an important factor influencing disease course and treatment outcomes in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Despite growing evidence that obesity is associated with complications of IBD, weight management strategies are not yet adequately addressed in clinical guidelines. Current research underlines the role of obesity as a chronic inflammatory condition that may contribute to the pathogenesis of IBD, exacerbate disease progression and negatively impact response to therapy. Increased visceral adiposity is associated with a poorer prognosis, emphasising the need for structured approaches to weight control in therapeutic management of IBD. A staged approach is recommended for the treatment of overweight and obesity in patients with IBD, including lifestyle changes, pharmacotherapy with glucagon-like peptide-1 agonists, endoscopic bariatric therapies and, in selected cases, obesity surgery.