New approaches to pharmacotherapy of obesity

Obesity is chronic metabolic disease that is related to many health complications, first of all cardiovascular and metabolic complications. Obesity decreases life expectancy and quality of life. The prevalence of obesity has disproportionally increased in the last decade. Obesity is a disease with multifactorial ethiology, besides positive energy balance there is also influence of genetic changes. Treatment of obesity should be complex, should cover low energy diet, more exercise, change of behavioral regime and last but not least, pharmacotherapy. Nowadays there are two approved medicines for long-lasting pharmacotherapy: sibutramin and orlistat. The treatment of obesity should be approached like the treatment of any other complex diseases (hypertension). It is likely in the future that there will be other approved medicines for long-lasting therapy besides orlistat and sibutramin