The dual burden of obesity and diabetes: Old problems die hard

Abstract

The array of efforts to control obesity is as wide and diversified as the mechanisms of the disease. From jaw wiring to fecal transfer, there have been virtually no limits for surgical and medical ingenuity. Initial results are always encouraging, if not for other reasons, because some placebo effect is always operative. The patient wants to lose weight, trusts the doctor, and is psychologically motivated, which can be a winning association, at least for a while. That’s why all the tenets of scientific investigation, including not only sound pathophysiological basis but also adequate controls and long-term follow-up, are indispensable. In the present chapter some creative and promising techniques will be reviewed, even though not all of them have been sufficiently tested in the bariatric population, or are ready for application.