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The Disease of Obesity

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The Clinician’s Guide to the Treatment of Obesity

Part of the book series: Endocrine Updates ((ENDO))

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Abstract

Obesity is defined as “abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that may impair health.” The extent to which obesity has impacted the USA and world population is astounding: More than one third of US adults (35.7 %) and approximately 17 % (or 12.5 million) of children and adolescents aged 2–19 years are obese. The alarming increase in obesity prevalence, the consequences on the personal health and on the health-care system (obesity contributes to over 112,000 deaths annually), and the relative lack of success in various interventions is undeniable. In June 2013, the American Medical Association recognized obesity as a disease requiring a range of medical interventions to advance obesity treatment and prevention.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Diabetes and Obesity Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Viorica Ionut MD, PhD & Richard N. Bergman MD

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  1. Viorica Ionut MD, PhD
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  2. Richard N. Bergman MD
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Correspondence to Viorica Ionut MD, PhD .

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  1. Assistant Professor of Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA

    Adrienne Youdim

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Ionut, V., Bergman, R. (2015). The Disease of Obesity. In: Youdim, A. (eds) The Clinician’s Guide to the Treatment of Obesity. Endocrine Updates. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-2146-1_1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-2146-1_1

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