Obesity Intervention: A New Era Of Discovery And Innovation

If necessity is the mother of invention, then it should be no surprise that minimally invasive obesity devices continue to be a hot area for investment, research, and innovation. Obesity is one of the most compelling public health problems today, with nearly two-thirds of US adults and one-third of children either overweight or obese. By 2030, some 42% of all Americans are expected to be obese, up from 36% in 2010. Although the rate of growth in obesity has leveled off for some subpopulations since 2003, the numbers of morbidly obese (BMI [body mass index] > or = 40 kg/m2) continue to grow faster than any other group. Approximately 18 million Americans currently are considered morbidly obese, and experts predict the prevalence of morbid obesity will more than double in the years ahead, increasing from roughly 5% today to 11% over the next two decades. (See Exhibit 1.)