Clinical Obesity

Obesity is a medical condition of multiple causes, associated with a variety of complications, including insulin resistance, diabetes mellitus, hypertension and cardiovascular disease. It has a high rate of morbidity and mortality and has been described as 'the number one health problem in America.' So far, treatment has consisted of various forms of dietary control regimes, appetite suppressants and surgery for the more extreme cases. But in recent years a great deal of research has been carried out into the mechanisms of obesity and interest has centred on a number of new therapeutic strategies. There are novel agents which act on intestinal fat absorbtion by inhibiting pancreatic lipase and there are also improved appetite suppressants. The role of surgery has also become clearer, where a large number of operations have been reduced to only a few successful ones. While a number of monographs have given good accounts of the research findings, this is the only book that gives a truly clinical account of the subject for those at the front line of patient management.

• covers both medical and surgical treatment
• covers the new drug treatments
• practical and clinical account of the subject