State of the Art in Obesity Care: From Pathophysiology to Precision Treatment

Dear Colleagues,

Obesity has emerged as one of the most pressing global health challenges of the 21st century, affecting more than one billion individuals worldwide and contributing substantially to premature morbidity and mortality. Its impact extends far beyond excess weight alone, driving a wide spectrum of cardiometabolic, gastrointestinal, hepatic, and oncologic diseases that place an enormous burden on healthcare systems. Despite growing recognition of obesity as a chronic, relapsing disease, significant gaps remain in diagnosis, risk stratification, and long-term management across diverse clinical settings. These challenges are further compounded by heterogeneity in patient phenotypes, disparities in access to care, and rapidly evolving therapeutic options.

At the same time, the field of obesity medicine is undergoing a period of unprecedented innovation. Advances in pharmacotherapy, including incretin-based agents, have transformed non-surgical treatment paradigms, while metabolic and bariatric surgery and endoscopic interventions continue to evolve with improved safety, efficacy, and personalization. Parallel progress in metabolic phenotyping, cardiovascular risk assessment, and outcomes research has deepened the understanding of obesity as a multisystem disease rather than an isolated condition. Together, these developments create a timely opportunity to re-examine obesity through an integrated, clinically grounded lens that bridges pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment.

This Special Issue aims to present and disseminate the most recent advances in the clinical understanding and management of obesity. We welcome contributions that address contemporary challenges and opportunities in obesity diagnosis, risk assessment, and treatment, with a focus on clinically actionable insights. Particular emphasis is placed on translational and real-world evidence that informs patient-centered care, shared decision-making, and long-term outcomes across medical, endoscopic, and surgical approaches.

Topics of interest for publication include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Clinical phenotypes and metabolic heterogeneity of obesity;
• Advances in pharmacologic therapies for obesity and metabolic disease;
• Metabolic and bariatric surgery: outcomes, procedure selection, and long-term risk modification;
• Endoscopic bariatric and metabolic interventions;
• Cardiometabolic, gastrointestinal, and hepatic complications of obesity;
• Risk prediction, biomarkers, and integrated outcome measures;
• Real-world evidence, comparative effectiveness, and health disparities in obesity care.

By bringing together high-quality original clinical research and reviews, this Special Issue seeks to advance a comprehensive and clinically relevant understanding of obesity, ultimately supporting improved outcomes for patients and informing best practices for clinicians and researchers alike.

Dr. Wissam Ghusn
Guest Editor

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