Obesity has been identified as a chronic disease linked to comorbidities including diabetes, cardiovascular problems, metabolic syndrome and cancer.
The cause of obesity has previously been "considered to be an imbalance between caloric intake and energy expenditure," according to the authors of the study, published in Biomedicine and Pharmacotherapy.
However, obesity is now associated with more complex biological and psychosocial factors, with weight loss being linked to reductions in blood glucose and other biomarkers of cardiovascular disease. Although lifestyle changes and improvements in diet have an impact on obesity, there is also evidence of successful pharmacotherapeutic interventions for weight loss, particularly in combination with lifestyle interventions such as exercise and diet.
According to the present study, 'the increasing prevalence of obesity is associated with multiple health problems that not only affect individual quality of life but also place significant demands on the health care system'. Fiber intake can help promote feelings of satiety and regulate appetite while being low in calories. Potential mechanisms of action may include improving insulin sensitivity, regulating lipid levels and cholesterol absorption from food during digestion. According to the author, diets high in protein and fiber may promote weight management and improve metabolism. In addition, other studies have shown a link between the development of obesity and the characteristics of the gut microbiome, demonstrating that obese individuals have unique gut microbiomes compared to those who are underweight.
According to the author, a better understanding of the interaction between the gut microbiome and obesity may help in the design of new dietary and therapeutic strategies aimed at balancing the microbiome and reducing weight. The diverse gut bacteria seen in obese individuals may reduce the gut's ability to metabolize fiber and contribute to inflammation and insulin resistance.
In a 2021 study published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences, diet and exercise showed improvements in disease states, but the body's ability to influence the efficacy and toxicity of a particular drug directly related to pharmacokinetic mechanisms. According to the authors, the amount, composition, and timing of nutrition can alter the pharmacokinetic effects of a drug in multiple ways, including drug-food interactions, physiological responses, gastrointestinal motility, bile acid secretion, or biochemical mechanisms. Body mass may affect drug absorption, distribution and metabolism, and there are suggestions for tailoring therapies for obese individuals, but specific recommendations are lacking. The authors also state that absorption after oral administration has no significant changes, but subcutaneous and intramuscular methods may be affected.
In the current study, the investigators state that more research specifically regarding the gut microbiome is needed to better understand dietary changes and the effect on obesity. Furthermore, in the 2021 study in Biomedicine and Pharmacotherapy, the combination of dietary and pharmaceutical interventions for obesity showed that a high level of adherence is essential to achieve weight loss and its maintenance. A high-fiber diet is also suggested there. In Western societies, however, the average fibre intake is approximately 15 g/day, whereas recommendations based on health considerations are 38 to 36 g/day.
In addition, pharmaceutical interventions may be essential to address other health conditions as well as presenting benefits for obesity, such as glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) medications, naltrexone and bupropion for severe food cravings as well as for those struggling with addiction, and metformin, which has been reported to be an enhancer of GLP-1 medications. 3 More research on specific dietary and pharmaceutical interventions may help expand the effectiveness of obesity treatment. | BGNES
