Journal of Obesity & Weight Loss Therapy
Open Access

Abstract

Obesity is a global epidemic which is most blatantly visible, yet most neglected public health problem. Obesity is a chronic, relapsing, multifactorial, neurobehavioral disease resulting in adverse metabolic, biomechanical, and psychosocial health consequences, that affects virtually all age and socioeconomic groups and threatens to overwhelm both developed and developing countries. Worldwide prevalence of obesity nearly tripled between 1975 and 2016. In 2016, more than 1.9 billion adults (≥18 years old) were overweight. Of these 650 million were obese. 39% of adults (39% of men and 40% of women) were overweight and 13% of adults (11% of men and 15% of women) were obese. 2.8 million people die each year as a result of being overweight or obese. 41 million children under age of 5 were overweight or obese in 2016. Over 340 million children and adolescents aged 5-19 were overweight or obese in 2016. Obesity increases morbidity, all cause mortality and healthcare costs. Despite all these facts, Obesity is not being perceived and treated as a serious problem like other common chronic diseases like diabetes or hypertension by community and clinicians. Obesity is a multifactorial desease that requires comprehensive evaluation of the patient with individualized treatment plans. Obesity management requires interdisciplinary approach including Nutritional intervention, Physical activity, Behavioral therapy, Pharmacotherapy, referral to a obesity medicine specialist and bariatric procedures to improve patient health, body weight and composition and quality of life. A special emphasis on latest advancments in diet and pharmacotherapy will be discussed as well.

Biography

Kranthi Sitammagari is a board certified Internist, board certified Physician Advisor, Faculty at Campbell University School of Osteopathic Medicine an Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine at Methodist University in Fayetteville, NC, USA. He is an editorial board member of Society of Hospital Medicine's official magazine "The Hospitalist", Editor-in-Chief of Quality Assurance and Utilization at “StatPearls” online database publishing peer-reviewed, PubMed indexed articles and review books. He is also a Scientific reviewer for multiple peer-reviewed journals including Annals of Internal Medicine, Journal of Hospital Medicine, Journal of Preventive Medicine etc. and has published peer reviewed articles and actively involved in research and clinical teaching.
Email:ksitammagari@gmail.com