Obesity is a complex and multifactorial disease, common enough to constitute a serious medical and public health problem. Medical and surgical specialists are often challenged by pathophysiological changes associated with obesity. These changes, that compromise virtually all organ systems, may constitute barriers to the progress in diagnosis and therapeutics. There is overwhelming evidence that obesity carries excess risk; in fact, mortality rises sharply when body mass index surpasses 30 kg/m2, particularly with concomitant central distribution of adipose tissue. The author discusses the effect of obesity on respiratory, cardiovascular, digestive and genitourinary systems. The obstacles faced by physicians in common diagnostic procedures, drug prescription, traumatic injuries, as well as rare pathologic reports of lipomas, are presented.
Obesity; Diagnosis; Clinical examination; Subsidiary examinations; Treatment
