Preface

The study of obesity and obesity-related comorbidities continues to increase in scope. The recognition that obesity contributes to significant health care costs has come to the forefront of medicine in all specialties. Journals across most disciplines have hundreds of articles published each year on research related to obesity and obesity-related illnesses. The economic cost of obesity continues to rise and with it mounting concern that health care providers and facilities will be affected both financially and in regard to access to care. The realization that obesity has such a dramatic impact on our society has come slowly to most individuals.

The need for a better informed public, improved access to education, and better understanding of the stressors obesity places on individuals and institutions has highlighted the need for consolidated resources. Few medical schools spend more than a few hours or, at best, isolated single lectures on obesity as part of their curriculum. This is in contrast to the reality that obesity will affect all health care providers in their careers. Few physicians are prepared to discuss the myriad issues related to obesity other than in a passing fashion.

Few resources exist for health care providers that compile a summarization of research and recommendations for care for patients with obesity. There needs to be increased emphasis on these issues in health care education for all types of providers. This book will serve as a resource for any level provider to further investigate major topics that their patients with obesity will encounter. It represents a consolidation of information into one source; until now, this central source has been lacking for women's health care.

The field of obesity medicine continues to rapidly evolve. Any practitioner involved in women's health care should be able to use this book as a resource to improve their knowledge base and to help counsel patients and their families. This text should serve as stimulus to future investigators to carry out research in treatment and management of obesity in women's health care.