Prevalence and epidemiology of gastrointestinal symptoms among normal weight, overweight, obese and extremely obese individuals.

Until recently, the epidemiology of gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms had not been adequately studied in relation to increasing body mass index. To date there are only a few studies in the literature, and thus the relationship between obesity and specific GI symptoms is poorly understood. Future studies that incorporate different ethnicities from varied geographic locations are urgently required. A greater understanding of how GI symptoms are related to obesity and the physiology will be important in the clinical management of these patients.