Description:Drug treatment of obesity remains a controversial topic. Opinions range from advocating life-long treatment of obesity with a single drug or drug combination, to opposing drug treatment of obesity because of its inevitable use as "lifestyle drugs." Clarifying the debate, Pharmacotherapy of Obesity: Options and Alternatives explores current and future options for drug treatment for obesity in the context of pathophysiology and clinical requirements and then puts them into perspective against available alternative treatments. Distinguished scientists and clinical investigators provide state-of-the-art reviews of each individual topic, which covers 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, 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.