Multidisciplinary Approach to Obesity

Obesity has reached epidemic proportions all over the world. In the last 25 years,
epidemiological research and national surveys confi rm this tendency.

From children to older adults, much attention has been given to this health prob-
lem by researchers, politicians, the media, and the public. In fact, obesity is the most

common chronic disorder in the industrialized societies, with an important impact
on individual lives as well as on health economics (medical expenses, lost income
as a result of disability, and complications of adult obesity), and therefore, obesity
has already become a major factor in health care planning systems.

There is also controversy regarding the role of the different identifi ed determi-
nants, the importance of the components necessary for successful prevention and

management of obesity weight loss, and the strategies to address common barriers,
which need to be changed.