Abdominal Obesity and the Endocannabinoid System: From Basic Aspects to Clinical Management of Related Cardiometabolic Risk

Article Outline

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The worldwide obesity pandemic with associated metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and cardiovascular risk, has heightened our curiosity about underlying pathophysiologic mechanisms and novel therapeutic targets. A major breakthrough in our understanding of the pathogenesis of obesity stems from the discovery that the endocannabinoid system can regulate caloric intake and metabolism.

This book summarizes the current research regarding the relationship of the endocannabinoid system to visceral obesity and its sequela, metabolism, and weight control. The target audience for this book is obesity and weight management health care professionals and basic researchers in this field. For a weight management practitioner or researcher, covering this topic concisely in adequate depth is challenging.

The first 8 chapters review the underlying pathophysiology of obesity along with its consequences such as the cardiometabolic syndrome, inflammation and its consequences, thrombosis, fatty liver, atherogenesis, and endocrinopathies. The subsequent 7 chapters provide a frame work for understanding animal models, the role of diet and exercise in managing obesity, and alterations in serum lipids. The remainder of the book is devoted to the science of the endocannabinoid system in its relationship to immune and inflammatory response, cardiovascular disease, the liver and gastrointestinal tract, visceral obesity, insulin resistance, adipocyte metabolism, and thermogenesis.

The book suffers from serious flaws, such as its primitive cartoon illustrations, dense type setting, a tedious style, a paucity of tables, figures, and algorithms, and lack of color photos. The uniformity of style, credentials of the authors, and depth of topic coverage throughout makes this book a must have for those involved in cannabinoid-obesity research. Although intended targets of this book are weight management practitioners-clinicians, the basic science emphasis becomes more “researcher oriented” and less bench to bedside for all readers.

Bottom Line: The book is best suited for obesity researchers and weight management clinicians who are looking for an up-to-date publication on the role of the endocannabinoid system in obesity. Although flawed, the value of this book is greater than the sum of its deficiencies and provides a good and in parts excellent update in current trends in obesity research, in reference to the endocannabinoid system.