Systems biology, toxins, obesity, and functional medicine.

By recognizing the role of toxins in obesity and altered function of the neuro-endocrine-immune and mitochondrial and redox systems, and by creating a comprehensive strategy for both the reduction of exposure to and elimination of toxins, as well as the development of effective clinical strategies, treatment resistance in obesity may be more successfully addressed. Further research is needed to explore the clinical relevance and the mechanisms that underlie this hypothesis and to examine clinical detoxification methods. Through the prism of functional medicine, a context and road map exist for tackling many treatment-resistant and complex chronic diseases, including obesity.