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.

Obesity and Cancer

Fat Mass and Obesity-Associated Gene (FTO)

Obesity and Exercise

Obesity and Anesthesia

Obesity and Hormones

Obesity in Adults

Obesity and Genetics

Obesity and Skin Problems

Obesity in Pregnancy

Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome

Dieting for Obese Children

See more featured articles »

Obesity Management

Obesity and Fast Food

Obesity and Infertility

Obesity and Autism

Obesity and Stress

Obesity and Blood Pressure

Obesity and Diabetes

Obesity and Heart Disease

Abdominal Obesity and the Metabolic Syndrome

What is Body Mass Index (BMI)?

Causes of Obesity and Overweight

Obesity and Sleep

What does Sleeve Gastrectomy Involve?

Why is Visceral Fat Dangerous?

Obesity, What Can be Done?

Obesity and Sexual Health

Obesity and Arthritis

Obesity and Respiratory Disorders

Obesity Epidemiology

Obesity and Depression

Obesity and Fractures

What is Obesity Paradox?

Obesity in Children

Obesity and Periodontitis

Latest Obesity News and Research

Experts call for eating-disorder screening before GLP-1 treatment

An international multidisciplinary panel developed consensus-based recommendations for GLP-1 receptor agonist use in people with eating disorders, calling for screening, individualized monitoring, patient education, and further research into safety and potential therapeutic effects. The experts cautioned that current evidence remains limited and inconsistent, particularly outside binge eating disorder, and identified major gaps in understanding the risk of new or recurrent eating disorders during treatment.

16 Sep 2026

AI-driven health app helps patients achieve better blood pressure control

Incorporating a free smartphone app featuring AI-driven health coaching, blood pressure monitoring, and behavioral incentives into a hospital's existing clinical workflows helps patients make meaningful reductions in blood pressure, findings that suggest that digital apps may offer an effective means of extending care beyond the clinic when incorporated into treatment plans.

16 Sep 2026

Study defines early-onset cirrhosis caused by fatty liver disease

Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine have published the first study to define early-onset cirrhosis caused by metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), a condition known as fatty liver disease.

16 Sep 2026

New ADA grant funds AI mobile tool to prevent teen diabetes

It's well-known that obesity and the cardiometabolic diseases that it can lead to continues to be a major concern among the nation's teens, affecting more than 1 in 5.

16 Sep 2026

New AACR report outlines future of cutting-edge cancer research

Today, the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) released the 16th edition of its annual Cancer Progress Report.

16 Sep 2026

What children eat may leave a measurable signature in their blood

Researchers analyzed 236 blood metabolites in 421 children to examine metabolic signatures associated with three dietary patterns characterized by core foods, animal protein sources, or poor-quality fats and sugars. The results identified distinct, biologically plausible metabolite patterns across dietary exposures, although most individual associations did not survive multiple-testing correction and require validation in independent cohorts.

15 Sep 2026

Cardiovascular disease surpasses cancer as top killer of Hispanic populations in the U.S.

Cardiovascular disease has surpassed cancer as the leading cause of death among Hispanic adults in the U.S., driven by rising rates of obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and other risk factors that often begin earlier in life for Hispanic people.

15 Sep 2026

Insilico Medicine launches AI initiative to develop longevity vaccines

Insilico Medicine, a clinical-stage generative artificial intelligence (AI)-driven drug discovery company, today announced Longevity Vaccines, a research initiative developing treatments that direct a patient's own immune cells to eliminate the earliest cellular drivers of age-related disease.

15 Sep 2026

A study of more than 21,000 adults found an unusual link between psilocybin and diet

Using data from more than 21,800 adults in two UK birth cohorts, researchers found that lifetime psilocybin and LSD use was associated with stronger pro-environmental attitudes and a greater likelihood of following a vegetarian diet, with psilocybin showing the clearer dietary pattern. Mediation analyses suggested that environmental attitudes statistically accounted for the psilocybin-vegetarianism association and part of the association with lower red meat consumption, but the observational design cannot establish causation.

15 Sep 2026

Ultra-processed foods enter babies’ diets early. What comes with them?

In a Denver cohort of 114 healthy infants, higher ultra-processed food intake during complementary feeding was associated with greater added sugar and sodium intake at 9 and 12 months. UPF intake showed no consistent relationship with growth through 12 months, while dietary diversity was not reduced among infants consuming more UPFs.

14 Sep 2026

Tirzepatide vs semaglutide for asthma: the difference was smaller than researchers expected

In a US multicenter electronic health record study, researchers compared tirzepatide with semaglutide in adults with asthma and type 2 diabetes, matching 8,176 patients in each treatment group. Asthma exacerbation risk was similar between treatments, while tirzepatide was associated with a lower likelihood of receiving a short-acting beta-agonist prescription.

14 Sep 2026

Cockroaches have a reputation for surviving almost anything, but this diet proved deadly

A laboratory study tested how ultra-processed, unprocessed, and mixed diets affected survival in 127 lobster cockroaches, Nauphoeta cinerea. Cockroaches fed only ultra-processed foods had higher mortality than those given unprocessed or mixed diets, although the study could not determine whether processing, ingredients, nutrition, or differences in food intake caused the effect.

13 Sep 2026

Obesity suppresses natural protection against breast cancer growth

A research team at Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah (the U) has found that obesity prevents a biological process that kills cancerous cells, revealing a possible reason why obesity is a risk factor for breast cancer.

11 Sep 2026

Risk factors for cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic disease can be identified in young children

Risk factors for cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic disease, a health condition made up of heart disease, kidney disease, diabetes, and obesity, can be identified in children as young as 8, UTHealth Houston researchers discovered.

11 Sep 2026

Proteomic signatures reveal early signs of cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic disease in children

Researchers at Vanderbilt Health, UTHealth Houston and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have identified early signs of cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic disease (CKMD) in children as young as 8 years old that potentially can be reversed with a new class of weight loss drugs used widely by adults

11 Sep 2026

Refined starch activates immune pathways after low-carb weight loss

After substantial weight loss on a very-low-carbohydrate diet, participants who switched to a diet rich in refined starch showed greater activation of circulating immune and metabolic pathways than those who continued the low-carbohydrate diet or consumed a high-carbohydrate diet rich in added sugar. Mouse experiments suggested that activation of the complement immune pathway may help explain the inflammatory response associated with starch intake.

10 Sep 2026

Biolife granted U.S. patent for novel effervescent oral peptide delivery technology

BioLife today announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office has granted U.S. Patent 12,667,605 B2 for its novel effervescent oral peptide delivery technology, designed to support current and future peptide therapeutics for obesity, diabetes and metabolic disease.

10 Sep 2026

New economic tool helps planners consider urban public health impacts

Senior urban development decision-makers have revealed there is currently little incentive to consider public health impacts when shaping towns and cities, according to a new study that highlights the potential of an innovative economic valuation tool to address the problem.

10 Sep 2026

Symptomless liver condition linked to heart and kidney disease

A common liver condition thought to be harmless could be dramatically increasing the risk of heart disease, kidney failure and premature death, according to a new review led by University of Manchester and Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust researchers.

10 Sep 2026

Generative AI-driven drug Rentosertib enters Phase III trial for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

Insilico Medicine, a clinical-stage biotechnology company powered by generative AI, today announced that it has dosed the first patient with Rentosertib (known as ISM001-055 / INS018_055) in GENESIS-IPF-3, a Phase III clinical trial (NCT07687459, CTR20262475) at Peking Union Medical College Hospital, while Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital has also enrolled its first patient on the same day.

10 Sep 2026