The clinical management of obesity is strongly focussed on weight loss. This approach has been underpinned by translation of epidemiological studies relating to health risks of obesity, the basic science of appetite and body composition regulation and clinical studies of medications, diet, exercise, and behavioural interventions. Clinical management has been less informed by translation of data relating to the marked heterogeneity of obesity, environmental underpinnings of obesity including gene environment interactions, stigma, the psychological, economic, and ethical burdens that result from a diagnosis, non-weight related moderators of the physical and psychological effects of obesity, or personalised approaches to treatment. There has been limited attention to consumer informed research and consumers may be driven more by improved appearance than improved health and wellbeing. Furthermore, there has been only limited investigation and little evidence of translation of knowledge relating to the influence of vested interests, their relative impact on the causes of, attitudes to, and treatment for, obesity or how to overcome negative impacts.