SOPHIA

Stratification of Obese Phenotypes to Optimize Future Obesity Therapy

01/06/2020 to 31/05/2025

The objective of SOPHIA is to increase the understanding of and optimise future treatment of obesity. We understand why this has been challenging: too often, clinicians, payers and patients do not consider obesity a disease. We propose that obesity is in fact a set of complex and chronic diseases that should be taken just as seriously as other heterogeneous chronic conditions. Here, we define diseases of obesity in the context of (a) the risks of complications linked to obesity and (b) the responses the diseases have to various treatments (diets, exercise, drugs and surgery). SOPHIA will identify and characterise clinically-meaningful subpopulations of patients with obesity using their operational variables for (a) risk and (b) response. We will use this knowledge to stimulate a new narrative, understanding and vocabulary around obesity as a set of complex and chronic diseases.