Treating Severe Obesity: A Medical Perspective

The global prevalence of obesity has increased substantially over the past several decades, with the most rapid growth occurring among individuals at the highest levels of body mass index (BMI). Greater degrees of adiposity are associated with a disproportionately high burden of cardiometabolic disease, functional impairment, and healthcare utilization. Individuals with severe obesity exhibit distinct clinical characteristics that may influence disease risk, therapeutic response, and long-term outcomes. Clinician knowledge of unique attributes of this population and effective therapy is imperative for successful weight management and prevention of progression of metabolic burden. Optimizing outcomes frequently requires a multimodal treatment approach, and a clear understanding of how to effectively integrate these therapies is essential for successful management. Severe obesity as defined as BMI ≥ 50 kg/m² is explored in this review.