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

Obesity and Fast Food

Obesity Epidemiology

Obesity and Stress

Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome

Causes of Obesity and Overweight

What does Sleeve Gastrectomy Involve?

Obesity, What Can be Done?

Obesity and Infertility

Obesity Management

Obesity and Sexual Health

See more featured articles »

Obesity and Hormones

Obesity in Children

Obesity and Heart Disease

What is Body Mass Index (BMI)?

Abdominal Obesity and the Metabolic Syndrome

Dieting for Obese Children

Obesity and Fractures

Obesity in Pregnancy

Fat Mass and Obesity-Associated Gene (FTO)

Obesity and Blood Pressure

What is Obesity Paradox?

Why is Visceral Fat Dangerous?

Obesity and Diabetes

Obesity and Skin Problems

Obesity and Depression

Obesity and Arthritis

Obesity and Autism

Obesity and Periodontitis

Obesity and Anesthesia

Obesity and Exercise

Obesity and Respiratory Disorders

Obesity in Adults

Obesity and Sleep

Obesity and Genetics

Latest Obesity News and Research

GLP-1s may improve testosterone levels and sperm quality in men with obesity

GLP‑1s do not harm male hormones or fertility after long-term use, according to a study being presented Monday at ENDO 2026, the Endocrine Society's annual meeting in Chicago, Ill.

15 Jun 2026

Global study links rising obesity to premature heart disease deaths

Researchers are warning that obesity is reshaping the global cardiovascular disease crisis, as trend data covering 204 countries reveal that heart disease now peaks in people aged 50-54 rather than the elderly and increasingly in South Asia, where rates have grown more than three times faster than global averages, according to a study being presented Monday at ENDO 2026, the Endocrine Society's annual meeting in Chicago, Ill.

15 Jun 2026

Long daily naps increase liver disease risk in diabetic patients

People with type 2 diabetes who nap longer than 30 minutes every day, regardless of their sleep patterns at night, increase their risk of developing metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), according to a study being presented Monday at ENDO 2026, the Endocrine Society's annual meeting in Chicago, Ill.

15 Jun 2026

Childhood factors causing later menarche impact lifelong adult health

Problems in adulthood such as tobacco use disorder and some conditions related to the digestive system, heart, bladder, joints and brain, are all shown to be affected by some influences that occurred in childhood, according to research presented Saturday at ENDO 2026, the Endocrine Society's annual meeting in Chicago, Ill.

15 Jun 2026

Maternal weight shifts microbiota signaling in the fetal environment

A study conducted at the University of Oulu and Oulu University Hospital suggests that factors related to maternal weight are reflected in signaling particles produced by the maternal microbiota not only in the gut but also in amniotic fluid.

15 Jun 2026

Study investigates whether obesity accelerates brain aging

Scientists have long known that being obese increases the risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease. What remains unclear is how that risk develops in the brain.

15 Jun 2026

Reinforcing daily rhythms helps the brain recover after stroke

A new study from scientists at the University of Rochester Medicine suggests that reinforcing the body's natural daily rhythms to improve sleep could help the brain recover after a stroke, pointing to a potential new strategy to improve brain waste clearance and outcomes long after the initial injury.

15 Jun 2026

Weight-loss surgery for obese teens found to be cost-effective over 10 years

Metabolic and bariatric surgery for teens with severe obesity was found to be cost-effective over 10 years, according to the new analysis from Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago published in JAMA Network Open.

15 Jun 2026

Synthetic cooling agents in e-cigarettes link to abnormal heartbeats

Synthetic cooling ingredients added to e-cigarettes caused abnormal heartbeats (arrhythmias) and increased cardiovascular risk measures in mice and lab-grown human heart cells, according to new independent research published today in Circulation: Arrhythmia and Electrophysiology, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Heart Association.

15 Jun 2026

American Heart Association launches platform for earlier heart failure risk identification

Nearly 7 million people in the United States are living with heart failure, and that number is expected to grow in the years ahead.

15 Jun 2026

Single-dose gene therapy extends healthy lifespan in older mice

A research team from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) has shown that a one-time administration of a gene therapy expressing the metabolic factor FGF21 can prolong health span in old mice.

15 Jun 2026

Short-chain oat fiber helps steady glucose and ease gut symptoms in pilot trial

A 14-day open-label pilot study in 63 healthy adults found that short-chain oat fiber was well tolerated at doses up to 20 g/day and was associated with improved gastrointestinal symptom scores.

14 Jun 2026

Menopausal hormone therapy linked to stronger bone health

Women on menopausal hormonal therapy face a decreased risk of low bone mineral density compared to those not using it, according to a study being presented Sunday at ENDO 2026, the Endocrine Society's annual meeting in Chicago, Ill.

14 Jun 2026

Study reveals frequent stop-and-start patterns with GLP-1 drugs

People prescribed GLP-1 medications are more likely to start-and-stop than most people assume, according to a study being presented Sunday at ENDO 2026, the Endocrine Society's annual meeting in Chicago, Ill.

14 Jun 2026

Non-hormonal menopausal medication improves mood and hot flashes

The first real-world study of the FDA-approved non-hormone treatment fezolinetant found the menopausal medication improved hot flashes, depression and anxiety in women, according to industry-sponsored research being presented Sunday at ENDO 2026, the Endocrine Society's annual meeting in Chicago, Ill.

14 Jun 2026

Common plasticizer may trigger lifelong anxiety-related behavioral changes

Male rats that were exposed to the widely used plasticizer di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) during early development exhibited increased anxiety behavior as adults, according to a study being presented Saturday at ENDO 2026, the Endocrine Society's annual meeting in Chicago, Ill.

14 Jun 2026

Hormone-disrupting chemicals found in breast milk and infants' urine

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) that interfere with hormones were found in breast milk and in the urine of children from birth up to 6 months, according to a study being presented Saturday at ENDO 2026, the Endocrine Society's annual meeting in Chicago, Ill.

14 Jun 2026

Longer hormone exposure may increase thyroid cancer risk in women

Longer lifetime exposure to female hormones may increase the risk of thyroid cancer in women, according to a study being presented Saturday at ENDO 2026, the Endocrine Society's annual meeting in Chicago, Ill.

14 Jun 2026

Puerto Rico sees sharp rise in adolescent type 1 diabetes

The incidence of type 1 diabetes among teens in Puerto Rico more than doubled from 2009 to 2021 and remained elevated through 2024, with an average annual increase of 4.1 percent, according to a study being presented Saturday at ENDO 2026, the Endocrine Society's annual meeting in Chicago, Ill.

14 Jun 2026

Study finds gaps in guideline-based testosterone prescribing practices

Only a small number of men who were prescribed testosterone therapy received appropriate, guideline-concordant diagnostic testing, according to a study being presented Saturday at ENDO 2026, the Endocrine Society's annual meeting in Chicago, Ill, by Sophia Sinha, M.D., clinical assistant professor at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Mich.

14 Jun 2026