Authors' recommendations: Obesity is an escalating chronic medical problem in the United States and worldwide. Over twothirds of the U.S. population is overweight (defined as body mass index [BMI] 25 kg/m2 [kilograms per square meter]), and the World Health Organization notes that the global prevalence of obesity (BMI 30 kg/m2) is more than twice what it was in 1980. Mortality rate is increased with obesity; the risk of death in obese adults aged 50 to 71 years is 2 to 3 times higher than for people of normal weight. Consequently, treatment of obesity and its associated diseases imposes a significant economic burden, approximately $100 billion yearly in the United States. Reducing total body weight by just 10% can significantly decrease the health risks associated with obesity. A reducedcalorie diet and exercise are two mainstays of treatment, but often these behavioral modifications alone are not enough to maintain long-term weight loss. Bariatric surgery is another option, but not all patients are appropriate candidates for this procedure due to the cardiovascular and pulmonary risks inherent in major surgery. Currently there are only a few FDA-approved medications for treatment of obesity, and more treatment options are needed.

Project Status: Completed

Year Published: 2012

URL for published report: The report may be purchased from:http://www.hayesinc.com/hayes/crd/?crd=14471

English language abstract: An English language summary is available

Publication Type: Not Assigned

Country: United States

Organisation Name: HAYES, Inc.

Contact Address: 157 S. Broad Street, Suite 200, Lansdale, PA 19446, USA. Tel: 215 855 0615; Fax: 215 855 5218

Contact Name: saleinfo@hayesinc.com

Contact Email: saleinfo@hayesinc.com

Copyright: 2012 Winifred S. Hayes, Inc