Effect of Weight Loss on Clinical Outcomes in Patients With Chronic Gastrointestinal and Liver Diseases

The global prevalence of obesity has increased significantly in recent decades, raising serious public health concerns. This trend has profound implications for gastrointestinal and liver diseases, as excess body weight plays a key role in their development, progression, and associated complications. Obesity-related metabolic and inflammatory alterations increase the risk of illness and place a significant strain on health care systems, making weight management a clinical priority. Weight loss has been shown to improve outcomes for many gastrointestinal and liver diseases. Benefits have been observed through lifestyle modifications, pharmacological interventions, and bariatric procedures. In particular, novel anti-obesity agents such as glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists offer promising potential for sustained weight loss and disease modification. This narrative review explores the impact of obesity on non-neoplastic gastrointestinal and liver diseases, the potential of intentional weight loss to mitigate its effects, and the efficacy of novel pharmacological therapies in managing obesity-related conditions.