Comprehensive Obesity Management in Clinical Practice: From Diagnostic Assessment to Evidence-Based Treatment Strategies

Obesity is a complex chronic disease requiring comprehensive diagnostic evaluation and multimodal treatment approaches; however, significant gaps persist in systematic clinical assessment and evidence-based management despite expanding therapeutic options. This narrative review provides clinicians with a structured framework for diagnosing and managing obesity by synthesizing evidence from diagnostic assessment tools, comorbidity evaluation, and treatment modalities, including lifestyle modification, pharmacotherapy, and bariatric surgery. We integrated clinical practice guidelines, evidence-based protocols, contemporary treatment approaches, pharmacological interventions, surgical outcomes, and behavioral strategies. Optimal obesity management requires a systematic assessment that extends beyond body mass index (BMI), including comprehensive history taking, metabolic evaluation, comorbidity screening, and individualized staging. Treatment modalities range from behavioral interventions to advanced pharmacotherapy with glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists, achieving 15%–20% weight loss, to bariatric surgery, which results in 25%–35% total body weight loss accompanied by metabolic improvements. Effective obesity care requires individualized, evidence-based approaches that incorporate thorough diagnostic assessments, appropriate treatment selection tailored to disease severity, and long-term multidisciplinary management with a focus on special populations and maintenance strategies.