Obesity is one of the most relevant public health concerns today and it is now evident that body weight control is achieved through highly integrated physiological interactions like nutrient selection as well as being influenced by genetic and environmental factors. Moreover, energy balance regulation is a complex process aimed at maintaining constant energy stores. Presenting a detailed and comprehensive account of the roles of specific peptides in energy balance, food intake control and co-morbidities, this review provides a better understanding of the patho-physiology of energy balance and obesity.

This work offers a comprehensive reference guide to help clinicians in the field of Internal Medicine addressing common aspects of endocrinological disorders in their daily practice. The exponential growth in our knowledge of biomedicine calls for continuous multidisciplinary approaches across specialists and disciplines. In this volume, recognized experts in each given area explore the complex mechanisms linking endocrinological disorders to abnormalities of the cardiovascular system, kidney, liver and gastrointestinal tract, autoimmune, neuro-psychiatric, rheumatic, and dermatologic diseases. Aspects connected to critically ill and elderly patients are examined as well, helping to enhance daily interactions with the most fragile populations observed in clinical medicine. The individual chapters are designed to deliver timely information while explaining pathophysiological mechanisms with the help of figures, flow-charts, and updated guidelines. The book offers a unique and valuable resource for all clinicians, residents, specialists, and physicians involved daily in the management of complex and multidisciplinary systemic diseases.