Obesity is a growing problem among both adults and children, especially in the UK and USA. It causes more than 9000 premature deaths a year in England alone and is an important risk factor for a number of chronic conditions. As such, community pharmacists now have an increasingly important role in public health and a responsibility to patients to understand the causes and dangers of obesity, as well as the options for treatment. The Obesity Epidemic and its Management is a timely and insightful book in two parts. Part 1 discusses the background and epidemiology of the problem. Part 2 focuses on the prevention of obesity and various psychological, pharmacological and surgical interventions.
In addition to addressing facts and figures and defining the problem and costs, topics covered also include:

• metabolic consequences
• obesity prevention
• government guidelines
• nutrition, fad diets and exercise
• services development in pharmacy.

This book is aimed at the primary healthcare worker, the pharmacist, the GP and the practice or community nurse and is designed to provide a basic understanding of the problem and why it has become such a major public health crisis over the last 30 years. It will serve as an invaluable resource for any healthcare professional wishing to understand more about the causes, effects and treatments of obesity.

Terry Maguire is Community Pharmacist at Proprietor Maguire Pharmacies, Belfast, Northern Ireland.
David Haslam is Chair of the National Obesity Forum (NOF), London and Physician in Obesity Medicine, Luton and Dunstable Hospital, Luton, UK.