An analytic review of current therapies for obesity.

Weight control is a cornerstone objective for many diseases common in medicine. Substantial, prolonged weight loss is difficult to achieve. Nutrition counseling, very low calorie diets, behavior modification, exercise, intragastric balloon, and gastric restriction surgery are interventions that physicians may recommend for obese patients. This paper analyzes the efficacy of these methods with attention to attrition rates, maximum weight loss, long-term maintenance of weight loss, and morbidity. Strategies for intervention for various classes of obese patients are recommended.