Diverticular disease and the obese patient.

Diverticular disease is common in the Western world and is a considerable source of morbidity. Many have proposed an association between diverticular disease, its complications, and obesity. We examine this question through a review of the available literature. While it is likely that an association between diverticular disease and obesity exists, there is no evidence suggesting that obese patients should be managed any differently from the non-obese.