Foreword

Article Outline

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One needs only to read the frequent headlines in newspapers and magazines to realize that much of the Western world, and especially the United States of America, is experiencing an epidemic of obesity. This rampant but preventable disease is resulting in major public health problems and unprecedented costs. In this issue of Current Problems in Surgery Drs. Tessier and Eagon of the Washington University School of Medicine have written an excellent monograph on Surgical Management of Morbid Obesity, in which they describe the striking increase in obesity, its causes, prevention, and treatment. They focus on the surgical management of morbid obesity, which is being employed with increasing frequency in the clinic. This important monograph, which addresses a highly relevant topic, is most timely and will be of interest to both the medical profession and the lay public.