Obesity currently affects more than 41% of adults in the United States. It is a complex and chronic medical condition that is often associated with reduced quality of life in the absence of appropriate care and the development of diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and other comorbidities. Once considered a condition caused by poor eating habits and lack of self-control or will power, obesity is now recognized as a disease that calls for long-term medical management and often requires pharmacotherapeutic intervention for adequate weight control.

Most patients are unlikely to initiate conversations about obesity and weight reduction with their healthcare provider and often look to their healthcare provider to begin these difficult discussions. In addition, even though obesity pharmacotherapy is largely advertised and has recently become prevalent among the general public, few patients with obesity are offered obesity medications or even appropriately diagnosed, counseled about the benefits of healthy weight, referred for weight loss services, or offered surgical consults. Lifestyle changes, such as dietary or nutritional measures, exercise, and physical activity, are the first-line treatments for obesity. However, lifestyle changes alone are often inadequate for patients to lose weight or maintain their weight loss, even among those who are vigilant in making significant and sustained changes. These difficulties highlight the importance of general practitioners getting involved in and initiating long-term treatment of obesity.

Clinical practice guidelines recommend that primary care clinicians support and engage patients in individualized obesity management plans, but significant time constraints and limited knowledge of and training in obesity medicine contribute to the reported underuse of lifestyle counseling, pharmacotherapy, and bariatric surgery referrals. Clinicians also need to stay updated on the evolving landscape of obesity medications to optimize treatment according to patient-specific factors, educate patients about and monitor for potential concerns, and incorporate shared decision making to achieve the best possible patient outcomes.