New national guidelines issued on treating obesity

ROANOKE, Va. (WDBJ) - New guidelines urge doctors to pair certain medications with lifestyle changes for overweight and obese adult patients to increase their chance of successful weight loss over the long term.

The American Gastroenterological Association, which issued the recommendations, underscored that obesity is a biological disease, not a lifestyle problem, that affects more than 4 in 10 U.S. adults, up from 30.5% over the past two decades.

On Here @ Home, Natalie talked with Dr. Cate Varney, the Medical Director for Obesity Medicine in the UVA Bariatric Surgery program, about these guidelines and why professionals in this field are so excited about this research.