摘要
本文彙整近期有關肥胖控制研究資訊，期能藉此瞭解國際間肥胖研究現況與發展趨勢。文中首先探討目前仍存在的爭議性問題，即是否所有肥胖者都需要減肥？或是誰比較需要減肥？之後，將以較多篇幅介紹肥胖控制研究的新趨勢和新希望，包括：肥胖基因(ob gene)、分子標的(targets)、以及其他和調節食慾與能量恒定有關的訊息傳遞物質(signals)等。這些深入的生化科技研究直逼肥胖問題核心，讓我們能夠窺探肥胖背後從未爲人知的複雜層面；也讓我們明瞭，爲何人類在肥胖症的治療上處境會如此艱困。然而，儘管在這起步的階段仍有許多謎團待解，但生物科技的潛力不容忽視，因此，預估在近期內將會有許多突破性的發現與報導，且讓我們拭目以待。這些研究同時也提醒我們，儘管醫療科技已經突飛猛進，但減肥至今仍無特效藥；因此，肥胖的預防仍舊重於治療，及早培養規律運動習慣，配合適度飲食控制，加上長期有恆的行爲修正，應是目前治療肥胖問題的不二法門。總之，肥胖問題的複雜性已遠超乎我們的想像之外，除了環境因素外，尚有遺傳及生理代謝等層面必須考慮，而科技研究的種種努力，皆有助於我們對肥胖的成因和預防有更清楚的瞭解，也期盼研究人員能夠儘快解決此一惱人的肥胖問題。
並列摘要
This article examines the recent research about obesity problems and seeks to promote a better understanding of the current conditions and the focus in this field. In the beginning it discusses who needs weight reduction---a topic that is still debated, as some researchers contend that not all overweight people need to lose weight. Then it discusses the progress made in the difficult task of identifying the genes that predispose to obesity. It then reviews the molecular signals, targets, receptors that together ensure that food intake is in synch with the body's immediate and long-term energy needed. Identification of those molecular signals, targets, and receptors, as well as new obesity genes, is now pointing the way to new therapeutic strategies for losing weight. These advances, in turn, promote our understanding of what causes obesity and improve the outlook for new strategies aimed at prevention and treatment.