Obesity is a complex, multifactorial disease that has serious health consequences, affects millions of Americans and drives hundreds of billions of dollars in annual health care spending. Scientific understanding of the nature of obesity has evolved over the course of the past several decades. It is now clinically recognized that obesity is a disease, not simply a cosmetic concern or issue of personal behavior. We now have a much greater understanding of obesity’s various metabolic implications and direct links to cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, liver disease and certain types of cancer, among other diseases. Multiple prescription medications have been developed, approved and recognized as safe and effective for long-term use in treating obesity