An updated POWER (Practice Guide on Obesity and Weight Management, Education, and Resources) framework calls on gastroenterologists and hepatologists to take a more active role in obesity management, reflecting major advances since the original 2017 recommendations. The guidance recognizes obesity as a chronic, relapsing disease and recommends an individualized, long-term treatment strategy that integrates lifestyle interventions, GLP-1–based medications, endoscopic bariatric therapies, bariatric surgery, and multidisciplinary care. It also encourages moving beyond body mass index (BMI) alone by incorporating measures such as waist circumference and body fat assessment to better evaluate obesity-related risk.
The update highlights why GI specialists are uniquely positioned to lead obesity care, given the close relationship between obesity and conditions such as MASLD, gastroesophageal reflux disease, colorectal neoplasia, inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, and gallbladder disease.