Introduction

Obesity is a complex health problem, caused by a number of factors such as excessive food intake, lack of physical activity, genetic predisposition, endocrine disorders, medications and psychiatric illnesses. Onset of obesity in both the developing and the developed world has reached epidemic proportions. In response to this, efforts to control and treat obesity have also been vigorously pursued, ranging from raising awareness about lifestyle changes to the discovery and development of safe and effective anti-obesity drugs.

Anti-obesity Drug Discovery and Development is focused on this very important area of healthcare research. The third volume of this series is dedicated to anti-obesity treatments including updates on new therapeutics for obesity, Nesfatin-1 and its therapeutic uses, the role of proteomics in pediatric anti-obesity treatment, the role of oxidative stress in childhood obesity and a review of data on gut microbiota as a treatment option for obesity.