Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome: Current Insights and Future Directions.

Obesity and metabolic syndrome are global health challenges, significantly increasing risks for type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, and overall mortality. This narrative review aims to discuss the relationship between obesity and metabolic syndrome; the past, present and future of anti-obesity medications including new advances in incretin-based therapies which have enabled patients to achieve significant weight loss and improvement in metabolic parameters; and the role of metabolic/bariatric surgery which remains the most effective durable treatment for severe obesity, with high remission rates of metabolic comorbidities like type 2 diabetes. Multimodal approaches involving the combination of lifestyle, medical and surgical advances will revolutionise our approach to treating obesity and metabolic syndrome in the future.