Update on office-based strategies for the management of obesity

Abstract

Over the last several decades, obesity has become one of the most pervasive issues plaguing the United States. The vast amount of comorbidities associated with obesity, ranging from breathing problems to severe cardiovascular disease, place individuals at further risk of developing adverse effects later in life. Currently, clinicians use tools and indices such as body mass index (BMI), percent body fat (%BF) and waist circumference to classify the obesity level of their patients. In 2018 however, the Obesity Medical Association amended its previous algorithms to include two distinct pathologies that fall within the category of obesity: Fat Mass Disease (FMD) and Adiposopathy. These two diagnoses are now classified under obesity, not otherwise specified ICD-10 Code (E66.9). In this article, we discuss the updated methods to classify, identify and manage patients with these disorders.