Obesity
Obesity is a chronic, relapsing disease in which body-fat amount or distribution impairs health, shaped by biology, environment, medicines and behaviour.
Key points
- BMI is a screening measure; waist, metabolic health, sleep, mobility and complications determine clinical impact.
- Sustainable treatment targets health and function, not rapid weight loss, and requires continued support because regain is biologically common.
- Weight-management medicines have condition-specific contraindications and generally need ongoing use to maintain benefit.
The listings below are not suitable for every body size; pregnancy, eating-disorder history, organ health and current medicines affect selection.
Assessing drivers and complications
Review covers weight trajectory, nutrition, activity, sleep, mental health and medicines that promote weight gain. Blood pressure, glucose, lipids, liver disease, sleep apnoea and joint symptoms define priorities. Endocrine causes are tested when clinical signs support them rather than routinely assumed.
Building treatment
Nutrition and activity plans should be practical and preserve muscle. Behavioural support, anti-obesity medicines and metabolic surgery offer increasing intensity according to complications and goals. GLP-1-based, absorption-blocking and appetite-pathway medicines differ in pregnancy, gastrointestinal and psychiatric considerations.
When to seek urgent care
Seek urgent care for chest pain, severe breathlessness, fainting, symptoms of very high blood glucose, or severe persistent abdominal pain and vomiting during weight-loss treatment.
Further reading
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