Summarizing Consensus Guidelines on Obesity Management: A Joint, Multidisciplinary Venture of the International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity & Metabolic Disorders (IFSO) and World Gastroenterology Organisation (WGO)

Obesity is a chronic disease, characterized by both abnormal and/or excess body fat accumulation, that is multifactorial in origin and influenced by various genetic, behavioral, and environmental factors1 This state of hyperlipidosis adversely affects someone’s health, increasing their risk for a range of comorbid conditions and premature mortality, and reducing their overall quality of life.2 Life-altering and oftentimes life-threatening comorbid conditions that have been empirically linked to obesity include type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM),3–5 cardiovascular disease,5–8 sleep apnea,9,10 chronic kidney disease,11,12 and at least 13 distinct forms of cancer that, among others, include breast, colorectal, hepatocellular, ovarian, and pancreatic malignancies and multiple myeloma.13,14 More recently, obesity has been empirically documented to be an independent risk factor for adverse health outcomes, including death, in persons with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).15–18 For all these reasons, obesity is now considered a leading cause of chronic disease, disability, morbidity, and both direct and indirect health care costs worldwide.