The prevalence of obesity in the United States and the rest of the industrialized world has skyrocketed in the past 20 years. Linked to heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, and metabolic syndrome, it is also the leading cause of osteoarthritis and the second leading cause of cancer. With contributions from leading experts in the field, Obesity: Prevention and Treatment bridges the gap between emerging understanding of the pathophysiology of obesity with concrete clinical applications for physicians and other healthcare workers in all disciplines of medicine. Following an overview of issues related to the prevention and management of obesity, the book discusses: Energy balance, the metabolic predictors of weight gain, and the role of adipokines, genetics, and the environment on obesity The epidemiology of obesity The identification and evaluation of the overweight patient as a guide to the selection of treatment Nutritional aspects of obesity treatment and management Exercise risks to which the obese patient may be more prone and steps that can be taken to mitigate these risks Behavior modification strategies for the obese patient The definition, assessment, consequences, and treatment of childhood obesity Drugs and surgical options for treatment The implications of public policy on the problem of obesity The significance of intra-abdominal and ectopic fat deposition in endocrine aspects of obesity Currently, over two thirds of the adult population in the United States is either overweight or obese. With these grim statistics, it is critically important that clinicians from all branches of medicine play an active role in diagnosing and treating obesity and its related conditions. This volume arms clinicians with the information they need to create an appropriate prevention and treatment program for their patients.