Primarily intended for physicians and health care professionals who are treating obese patients, this book explores current and future options for drug treatment of obesity puts them into perspective against available alternative treatments. Distinguished scientists and clinical investigators provide reviews of each individual topic, covering a wide range of subjects from pathophysiology of obesity to the benefits of weight loss. The core sections on pharmacotherapy deal with currently available drugs and drugs in pre-clinical development. These sections are complemented with sections on non-drug treatment and general therapeutic aspects. This design provides an integrated view of therapeutic approaches to the treatment of obesity and its associated syndromes.