Suzanne Mackey, Celia Egan, Karen Elkind-Hirsch
Prehabilitative exercise improves preoperative fitness, function, fatigue, and quality of life, and attenuates perioperative decline in patients undergoing cancer surgery. These findings support integrating structured exercise into perioperative oncology pathways to optimise recovery and long-term outcomes.
Women pre- or post-menopause and living with obesity are at an increased risk of obesity-related complications such as polycystic ovary syndrome, infertility, cardiovascular disease, and breast and uterine cancers. Previously, it has been demonstrated that a clinically meaningful weight loss of ≥5% of total body weight can have benefits for women living with gynecological conditions related to obesity and can improve the symptoms of polycystic ovary syndrome, improve fertility, and reduce the risk of gynecological and breast cancers. In this review article, we provide an overview of the impact of obesity on women's health and evaluate the current pharmacological treatment landscape for weight management, with particular emphasis on incretin-based therapies, as relevant treatment options for obstetrician-gynecologists and gynecologists treating women at an increased risk of obesity-related complications. Literature searches were conducted using PubMed to identify articles published between 2015 and 2026, with the search date range subsequently expanded to articles published within the last 30 years. English language and adult only were specified in the filters for the search criteria, as was publication type (narrative reviews, systematic reviews, and randomized controlled trials were included). Searches were also conducted without any filters. With glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists established as effective weight-management tools, obstetrician-gynecologists and gynecologists can offer evidence-based treatment options to women with obesity-related complications as an addition to lifestyle interventions (such as a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity) to aid weight loss. Obstetrician-gynecologists and gynecologists are ideally placed to diagnose and treat obesity in women who present with obesity-related gynecological complications. We hope that the clinical data presented, and the practical tips shared in this review, encourage obstetrician-gynecologists and gynecologists to initiate weight-loss conversations in everyday clinical practice to support women in achieving clinically meaningful weight loss and improve outcomes in women with obesity-related complications.