The future role of gut hormones in the treatment of obesity

Abstract

The obesity pandemic presents a significant burden, both in terms of healthcare and economic outcomes, and current medical therapies are inadequate to deal with this challenge. Bariatric surgery is currently the only therapy available for obesity which results in long-term, sustained weight loss. The favourable effects of this surgery are thought, at least in part, to be mediated via the changes of gut hormones such as GLP-1, PYY, PP and oxyntomodulin seen following the procedure. These hormones have subsequently become attractive novel targets for the development of obesity therapies. Here, we review the development of these gut peptides as current and emerging therapies in the treatment of obesity.