A working paradigm for the treatment of obesity in gastrointestinal practice

Obesity is a chronic, relapsing, multifactorial disease characterized by abnormal or excessive adipose tissue accumulation that may impair health and increase disease risks. Despite the ever-increasing prevalence and economic and societal burden, the current approaches to treat obesity are not standardized or generally effective. In this article, we describe a current working paradigm developed by a consensus approach for the multidisciplinary treatment of obesity in the gastrointestinal practice. Obesity should be managed as a continuum of care focusing on weight loss, weight loss maintenance, and prevention of weight regain. This approach needs to be disseminated throughout the health care system, coordinated by a multidisciplinary team, and include gastroenterologists who are in a unique position to address obesity. Gastroenterologists are in the front line of managing the morbidity resulting from obesity, and have expertise in use of the essential tools to manage obesity such as nutrition, pharmacology, endoscopy, and surgery.