Obesity is one of the most serious epidemiological problems of our time. The incidence of obesity has tripled since 1975, with 1.9 billion (39% of the population) adults worldwide now overweight and 650 million (13% of the population) obese.
Obesity is a chronic metabolic disease and should be treated like all chronic diseases with a specific treatment plan, continuing therapy, and regular monitoring. The primary goal of obesity treatment is to prevent complications by keeping the patient metabolically healthy for as long as possible; to prevent or manage complications that may already be occurring; to eliminate stigma; and to restore well-being, positive body image, and self-esteem. The choice of appropriate treatment depends on two main parameters: the degree of obesity and the presence or absence of complications from the disease. Lifestyle changes, proper diet, exercise, and management of meals and sleep are the first basic steps in treating obesity. Further action for treatment includes drug therapy and bariatric surgery and some older drugs may also contribute to weight loss.
We are now entering a new age of effective pharmaceutical treatment of obesity. Several agents in the class of GLP-1 receptor agonist class have achieved a weight loss of approximately 20% in studies lasting several years. Moreover, the administration of GIP antagonists can lead to impressive weight loss. This is a development offering new hope to those afflicted with obesity, which must be viewed as a chronic disease.
In this Article Collection, we aim to assemble all recent developments in the management and treatment of obesity. We intend to solicit manuscripts on subtopics that include, but are not limited to:
- Assessment of obesity
- Lifestyle changes
- Non-pharmacological management of obesity
- Pharmacological treatment of obesity
- Bariatric surgery
- Long-term effects of interventions for obesity
Annals of Medicine accepts the following types of articles:
- Research Article
- Clinical Study
- Study Characteristics
- Systematic Review
- Review Article
- Mini Review
- Case Series
When submitting your article, please select the section, 'Endocrinology', and the Special Issue, 'Advances in the Treatment of Obesity' from the drop-down menu on the submission system.
Annals of Medicine is an online, open-access, international journal publishing across all areas of medicine and is part of our Elevate Series. This means that you will receive a concierge-level publishing experience, including dedicated support from our expert in-house Editorial team, with guaranteed response times of within 48 hours, an initial decision on whether your article will be peer-reviewed within 5 working days, and a first decision on your research within an average of 22 working days.
