Obesity

Overweight and obesity are defined by the WHO as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that presents a risk to an individuals health.

Overweight and obesity are major risk factors for a number of chronic diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and cancer and while it was once an issue only in high income countries, overweight and obesity has now dramatically risen in low- and middle-income countries.Such countries are now facing a "double burden" of disease, for while they continue to deal with the problems of infectious disease and under-nutrition, they are also experiencing a rapid upsurge in chronic disease risk factors such as obesity and overweight, particularly in urban settings.

What is Obesity?

Obesity and overweight have in the last decade become a global problem - according to the World Health Organization (WHO) back in 2005 approximately 1.6 billion adults over the of age 15+ were overweight, at least 400 million adults were obese and at least 20 million children under the age of 5 years were overweight.

Causes of Obesity and Overweight

Obesity, What Can be Done?

What is Body Mass Index (BMI)?

Obesity and Fast Food

Obesity and Exercise

Obesity Management

Obesity and Blood Pressure

Obesity and Diabetes

Obesity and Cancer

Obesity and Depression

Obesity and Autism

See more featured articles »

Obesity and Sleep

Obesity and Hormones

Obesity and Genetics

Obesity in Adults

Obesity in Pregnancy

Obesity and Infertility

Obesity and Sexual Health

Obesity and Stress

Obesity and Fractures

Obesity and Arthritis

Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome

Obesity Epidemiology

What is Obesity Paradox?

Obesity and Periodontitis

Obesity in Children

Obesity and Respiratory Disorders

Obesity and Heart Disease

Obesity and Anesthesia

Obesity and Skin Problems

Fat Mass and Obesity-Associated Gene (FTO)

What does Sleeve Gastrectomy Involve?

Dieting for Obese Children

Abdominal Obesity and the Metabolic Syndrome

Why is Visceral Fat Dangerous?

Latest Obesity News and Research

New study reveals key cells regulating fat tissue formation

Understanding how fat tissue forms and functions is crucial for addressing obesity and related metabolic diseases. However, adipose tissue, or body fat, behaves differently based on its location in the body.

9 May 2024

Prenatal exposure to bisphenol and phthalate linked to increased child obesity, study finds

Researchers found links between higher prenatal exposure to bisphenols and high-molecular-weight phthalates with increased child weight and BMI from birth to age four in a New York cohort study.

9 May 2024

Mouse-rat chimeras offer functional liver cells for transplantation

Liver disease, due to viral infections, alcohol abuse, obesity, or cancer, accounts for 1 in every 25 deaths worldwide.

9 May 2024

Innovative endoscopic treatment targets hunger hormone for weight loss

A new weight-loss treatment could be on the horizon with an innovative endoscopic procedure that ablates (burns) the stomach lining to reduce production of ghrelin, a hormone that triggers hunger, resulting in decreased appetite and significant weight loss, according to a first-in-human trial to be presented at Digestive Disease Week (DDW) 2024.

9 May 2024

Study shows steep rise in colorectal cancer among younger populations

Colorectal cancer incidence has steadily increased among younger people in the U.S. over the last two decades, with the youngest seeing the most dramatic jumps, according to a study scheduled for presentation at Digestive Disease Week (DDW) 2024.

9 May 2024

Study reveals altered protein rhythms linked to metabolic disorders in night shift workers

Just a few days on a night shift schedule throws off protein rhythms related to blood glucose regulation, energy metabolism and inflammation, processes that can influence the development of chronic metabolic conditions.

9 May 2024

Increase in sedentary time from childhood causes progressing heart enlargement, new study shows

A recent study investigated whether sedentary time (ST), light-intensity physical activity (LPA), and moderate-to-vigorous-intensity physical activity (MVPA) during childhood and young adulthood influence cardiac structure and function.

9 May 2024

Higher consumption of ultra-processed foods linked to elevated mortality risk

The relationship between ultra-processed food (UPF) intake and all-cause and cause-specific death.

9 May 2024

Ultra-processed foods linked to higher risk of death in long-term study

Higher consumption of most ultra-processed foods is linked to a slightly higher risk of death, with ready-to-eat meat, poultry, and seafood based products, sugary drinks, dairy based desserts, and highly processed breakfast foods showing the strongest associations, finds a 30-year US study in The BMJ today.

8 May 2024

Youth-onset diabetes linked to higher Alzheimer's risk

Young people with diabetes may have a significantly higher risk of developing Alzheimer's disease later in life, according to a new study by researchers in the Lifecourse Epidemiology of Adiposity and Diabetes (LEAD) Center at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.

8 May 2024

Cross-species liver cell growth could represent a solution to transplant shortage

Liver disease, due to viral infections, alcohol abuse, obesity, or cancer, accounts for 1 in every 25 deaths worldwide.

8 May 2024

AVAnT1A study: Investigating early COVID-19 vaccination and type 1 diabetes risk in children

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease that leads to disrupted glucose metabolism. It requires lifelong insulin therapy.

8 May 2024

Intermittent fasting halts liver disease progression and reduces cancer risk

Fatty liver disease often leads to chronic liver inflammation and can even result in liver cancer. Scientists from the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and the University of Tübingen have now shown in mice that intermittent fasting on a 5:2 schedule can halt this development.

8 May 2024

High salt consumption linked to 40% higher stomach cancer risk

In Asian countries, where high-salt foods are popular, the link between high salt consumption and stomach cancer has already been proven.

8 May 2024

University of Michigan initiative addresses hand health disparities in older adults

Researchers know that fine motor skills decline with age, but despite the many daily tasks that are performed with the hands—dressing, grooming, taking medications—there isn’t much research on hand health in older adults.

7 May 2024

Increase in sedentary time from childhood associated with progressing heart enlargement

An increase in sedentary time from childhood caused progressing heart enlargement, a new study shows. However, light physical activity could reduce the risk.

7 May 2024

Nutritional interventions for type 2 diabetes management with glycemic control

Researchers explore the effects of healthy diet interventions on various body mass and cardiometabolic parameters.

6 May 2024

Personalized screening approach may better predict preeclampsia in the first trimester of pregnancy

A new screening algorithm for preeclampsia combining maternal history, ultrasound data and several tests for blood markers may better predict the majority of preeclampsia cases in the first trimester of pregnancy, when it may still be preventable, according to new research published today in Hypertension, an American Heart Association journal.

6 May 2024

Can monitoring and encouraging physical activity through phone-based apps improve glycemic control and weight loss in type 2 diabetes patients?

Whether a smartphone application (app) for maintaining personal health records encouraged physical activity, improved step counts, and glycemic control.

6 May 2024

New study shows age, sex, race crucial for predicting mortality risks in older adults

Study finds that the LS7 and LE8 scores predict all-cause and cardiovascular mortality with similar efficacy in the overall U.S. population. However, the PCE score is better at predicting mortality in individuals aged 40 to 79.

5 May 2024