New obesity drug therapies – what is the added value?

Abstract

It is a fact that obesity has taken on a pandemic character, worldwide. Genetic and lifestyle factors, such as the availability of high-calorie diets and sedentary lifestyles, explain this increase. Obesity leads to increased morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular disease, clustered nephropathy, diabetes, arthritic conditions, and certain forms of cancer and other diseases. These often mean a reduced quality of life. While lifestyle modifications represent the most reasonable therapy for obesity, existing data from respective programs show modest and transient effects. Surgical interventions are effective but also highly invasive, leaving an increased interest in the development of pharmaceutical solutions. Several pharmaceutical options with the potential for broad application are currently emerging. However, the long-term effects of these compounds and their cost-effectiveness still need to be investigated. The consequence remains that not enough emphasis can be placed on the importance of obesity prevention. This includes a balanced diet and regular exercise. These theoretically simple and inexpensive measures could save us the considerable costs and potential long-term side effects associated with drug therapy.