title: White Paper AGA: POWER - Practice Guide on Obesity and Weight Management, Education, and Resources.
abstract: The epidemic of obesity continues at alarming rates, with a high burden to our economy and society. The American Gastroenterological Association understands the importance of embracing obesity as a chronic, relapsing disease and supports a multidisciplinary approach to the management of obesity. Because gastrointestinal disorders resulting from obesity are more frequent and often present sooner than type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease, gastroenterologists have an opportunity to address obesity and provide an effective therapy early. Patients who are overweight or obese already fill gastroenterology clinics with gastroesophageal reflux disease and its associated risks of Barrett's esophagus and esophageal cancer, gallstone disease, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease/nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, and colon cancer. Obesity is a major modifiable cause of diseases of the digestive tract that frequently goes unaddressed. As internists, specialists in digestive disorders, and endoscopists, gastroenterologists are in a unique position to play an important role in the multidisciplinary treatment of obesity. This American Gastroenterological Association paper was developed with content contribution from Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons, The Obesity Society, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, and North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, endorsed with input by American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, and Obesity Medicine Association, and describes POWER: Practice Guide on Obesity and Weight Management, Education and Resources. Its objective is to provide physicians with a comprehensive, multidisciplinary process to guide and personalize innovative obesity care for safe and effective weight management.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Enteric Neuroscience Translational and Epidemiological Research (C.E.N.T.E.R.), Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota. Electronic address: acostacardenas.andres@mayo.edu.
authors.forename: Andres
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Acosta
authors.affiliation: Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Streett
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Endoscopy, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio.
authors.forename: Mathew D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Kroh
authors.affiliation: Johns Hopkins Weight Management Center, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland.
authors.forename: Lawrence J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Cheskin
authors.affiliation: Comprehensive Weight Control Center, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York and representative of The Obesity Society.
authors.forename: Katherine H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Saunders
authors.affiliation: Department of Minimally Invasive Surgery, New York University, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kurian
authors.affiliation: Nutrition Services Coverage, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Chicago, Illinois.
authors.forename: Marsha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schofield
authors.affiliation: Baylor College of Medicine and Center for Childhood Obesity, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas and representative of North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition.
authors.forename: Sarah E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Barlow
authors.affiliation: Comprehensive Weight Control Center, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York and representative of The Obesity Society.
authors.forename: Louis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Aronne
mesh_terms: D019468:Disease Management; D006801:Humans; D009765:Obesity / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D012958:Societies, Scientific; D014481:United States
keywords: Bariatric; Obesity; Weight Loss; Weight Maintenance