Obesity is no longer considered a cosmetic problem. The World Health Organisation (WHO) and the European Parliament, as well as many international medical and scientific societies, have recognised obesity, an excessive accumulation of adipose tissue (body fat), as a chronic, heterogeneous, progressive and frequently relapsing non-communicable disease resulting from multiple environmental and genetic factors (Table 1) [1]. Obesity is associated with increased morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, multi-site cancers and premature death, requiring ongoing intervention and affecting quality of life [1–4].
