Obesity and metabolic syndrome
Defining obesity (BMI, waist, the 2025 Lancet Commission's clinical and preclinical obesity) and metabolic syndrome, secondary causes, the Australian burden and weight bias, lifestyle and very low energy diets, semaglutide and tirzepatide with their trials, and bariatric surgery and its long-term complications.
Tier 1Condition
Written with AI assistance and fact-checked against the sources below. For exam study, not clinical decisions. How notes are made
At a glance
- Obesity is a chronic relapsing disease. Two-thirds of Australian adults are above a healthy weight and about one in three have obesity (ABS National Health Survey 2022).
- BMI screens populations but misclassifies individuals. Add waist circumference (or waist-to-height ratio over 0.5) and look for organ dysfunction.
- Metabolic syndrome clusters central adiposity, dyslipidaemia, hypertension and dysglycaemia. It roughly doubles cardiovascular risk and multiplies type 2 diabetes risk about fivefold.
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Sources
- Australian Obesity Management Algorithm: a simple tool to guide the management of obesity in primary careAU/NZAustralian Diabetes Society, ANZ Obesity Society and Obesity Surgery Society of ANZ, 2026
- Clinical practice guidelines for the management of overweight and obesity in adults, adolescents and children in AustraliaAU/NZNational Health and Medical Research Council, 2013 (rescinded)
- National Obesity Strategy 2022-2032AU/NZAustralian Government and state and territory governments, 2022
- Definition and diagnostic criteria of clinical obesity (Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology Commission)Rubino et al., Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol 2025;13:221-62, 2025
- Pharmacological management of obesity: an Endocrine Society clinical practice guidelineApovian et al., J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2015;100:342-62, 2015 (update in draft, 2026)
- Semaglutide and cardiovascular outcomes in obesity without diabetes (SELECT)Lincoff et al., N Engl J Med 2023;389:2221-32, 2023
- Tirzepatide once weekly for the treatment of obesity (SURMOUNT-1)Jastreboff et al., N Engl J Med 2022;387:205-16, 2022
- Tirzepatide as compared with semaglutide for the treatment of obesity (SURMOUNT-5)Aronne et al., N Engl J Med 2025;393:26-36, 2025
- Harmonizing the metabolic syndrome: a joint interim statement (IDF, NHLBI, AHA, WHF, IAS, IASO)Alberti et al., Circulation 2009;120:1640-5, 2009
- Last updated
- 14 November 2026
What changed
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