Preface

Obesity has acquired pandemic proportions as its prevalence is increasing exponentially. It is regarded as a silent killer due to numerous health implications resulting in less than average life expectancy. Obesity is a major risk factor of various metabolic disorders including diabetes, hypertension, renal failure, stroke, etc . Obese individuals also have greater risks of developing cancers, apart from social stigmatization. Obesity is rightly regarded as a syndrome due to its multifactorial, complex and systemic etiologies. It is generally managed through life style changes. However, often life style changes do not work, and pharmaceutical or surgical interventions are required. ThetTremendous research undertaken in this field has led to a better understanding of the factors responsible for obesity, and to the identification of molecular targets for anti-obesity drug development. Being the fifth leading cause of death and its high prevalence in developed countries, obesity has become one of the key areas of pharmaceutical and biomedical research. The comprehensive reviews with scholarly written analysis in the present volume of the book series entitled, “Anti-obesity Drug Discovery and Development” should prove a very useful guide to the readers of important recent developments.

The chapter by Johnson et al is focused on the effects of sleep on obesity management. Authors have discussed the pathophysiology of sleep dysfunction and its relationship with obesity, linked through chronic low grade inflammatory state. Potential therapeutic interventions to restore normal sleep patterns in obese patients are also discussed. Gomez-Llorente et al have reviewed the role of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) in metabolic regulation, and its inhibition as for the treatment of obesity and other metabolic disorders in the 2^nd chapter.. The authors have provided a thorough review of studies validating AMPK as a drug target for obesity and related disorders, as well as the status of drug development based on AMPK modulation. Brown et al in chapter 3 have have discussed the factors involved in drug addiction and pathological overeating at the neurological level. They describe how the stimuli associated with the craving for food or drugs are associated with the same brain regions. They have supported the idea that a greater understanding of addiction neuroscience can help in the treatment of pathological overeating and resulting obesity.

Another excellent review on various pharmaceutical treatment options for obesity has been contributed by Closs et al in chapter 4. They have discussed the relationship between the gut microbiota and chronic diseases including obesity through a complex cascade of neurochemicals. The mechanism of actions of current and next generation anti-obesity drugs are also presented. Bozkurt and Delibesi have described the prospects of leptin replacement therapy for the obesity control in chapter 5. They have presented recent researches on the discovery and development of leptin sensitizers as promising medications for clinical treatment of obesity. The last chapter by Mitra Nourbakhsh is focused on dysregulation of MicroRNAs as a possible cause of metabolic disorders, including obesity. The author has has critically analyzed the relationship between the microRNAs and obesity and then extended the discussion to their use as targets for the management of obesity disorders.

We would like to thank the authors of the above cited review articles for their excellent contributions in this dynamic and exciting field of biomedical and pharmaceutical research. The efforts of the efficient team of Bentham Science Publishers for the timely production of the 5^th volume deserve our appreciation as well. The contributions of Ms. Asma Ahmed (Manager Publications), and of Mr. Mahmood Alam (Director Publications) are also gratefully acknowledged. With this, we hope that the contributions of authors, and production team will help readers in a better understanding of the modern day menace of obesity and its treatment.