The future of obesity research

As endocrinologists, we view better treatment as the goal of obesity resear ch. The ideal obesity treatment would reduce body fat substantially, with p referential loss from the visceral compartment, and preserve lean tissue wi th a minimum of side effects. Obesity has been recognized as a chronic dise ase since 1985. Chronic diseases recognized before obesity may predict the future of obesity research. Initial treatments of chronic diseases commonly arise from empirical observations. These observations often stimulate basi c research into the physiologic mechanisms responsible. Such cross-fertiliz ation between the clinic and basic science is desirable and expected. As mo re is learned about the physiology of obesity, treatments can be expected t o use more downstream mechanisms with less unwanted side effects, the relia nce on surgical treatments can be expected to decline, and molecular approa ches are likely to play an increasingly important role. With a better physi ologic understanding of obesity, advanced clinical endpoints will become mo re important and molecular approaches are likely to play a more important r ole in discovery and treatment. Due to the availability of molecular approa ches, obesity treatment is expected to advance faster than chronic disease research of the past. Nutrition 2000,16:976-982, (C) Elsevier Science Inc. 2000.