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 Management

Obesity in Pregnancy

Obesity in Adults

What is Obesity Paradox?

Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome

What does Sleeve Gastrectomy Involve?

Obesity and Sleep

Obesity and Fractures

Causes of Obesity and Overweight

Obesity and Stress

Obesity and Skin Problems

See more featured articles »

Obesity Epidemiology

Dieting for Obese Children

Obesity and Arthritis

What is Body Mass Index (BMI)?

Obesity and Infertility

Obesity and Respiratory Disorders

Obesity and Anesthesia

Obesity and Genetics

Fat Mass and Obesity-Associated Gene (FTO)

Obesity and Diabetes

Obesity and Heart Disease

Obesity and Autism

Obesity and Blood Pressure

Obesity and Exercise

Obesity, What Can be Done?

Obesity and Depression

Obesity and Cancer

Why is Visceral Fat Dangerous?

Obesity and Fast Food

Obesity and Sexual Health

Obesity in Children

Obesity and Hormones

Obesity and Periodontitis

Abdominal Obesity and the Metabolic Syndrome

Latest Obesity News and Research

Antibiotic use before and during pregnancy linked to psychological distress

Perinatal depression, which occurs during pregnancy or in the period after childbirth, is one of the most common mental health conditions experienced by women.

1 Apr 2026

Boosting retail sales and nutrition through entrance-level produce displays

Placing fruit and vegetable sections near supermarket entrances increases the amount purchased and may improve the quality of women's diets, according to a new study funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

1 Apr 2026

Fiber supplement stabilizes blood sugar in gestational diabetes

Dietary fiber supplementation shows potential in managing blood sugar levels and preventing preterm births in pregnancies at risk for gestational diabetes.

1 Apr 2026

Imaging study measures pancreatic fat in children and teens

Higher fat content in the pancreas of children and adolescents with obesity is associated with an increased level of heart and metabolic risk factors, including higher than average body mass index (BMI), elevated diastolic blood pressure, higher levels of abdominal and liver fat, and insulin resistance, according to new research presented at this year's European Congress on Obesity (ECO) in Istanbul, Turkey (12-15 May).

1 Apr 2026

Gut-derived metabolites regulate immune cells in complex ways

Published on March 23, 2026, in Volume 2, article number 18 of the journal Immunity & Inflammation, the review begins by systematically outlining the sources and synthetic pathways of immune-relevant microbial metabolites, including bile acids, short-chain fatty acids, amino acid derivatives, vitamins, trimethylamine/trimethylamine N-oxide, and odd-chain fatty acids.

31 Mar 2026

How swapping unhealthy foods can significantly reduce your heart risk

More than half of adults and about 60% of children in the U.S. have unhealthy diets, which can contribute to higher rates of health factors such as high blood pressure and obesity, and lead directly to poor health outcomes including deaths from cardiovascular disease and other chronic conditions, according to the American Heart Association.

31 Mar 2026

ACLM launches project remission for Type 2 diabetes

The American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM) announces the launch of Project Remission: A Lifestyle Medicine Approach to Type 2 Diabetes, a national digital film series developed in partnership with Content With Purpose (CWP).

31 Mar 2026

How gut imbalance may drive obesity, diabetes, and heart disease

A new review argues that gut dysbiosis is closely linked to metabolic dysfunction through intertwined effects on inflammation, oxidative stress, gut barrier integrity, microbial metabolites, and epigenetic regulation. It also highlights microbiome-targeted strategies such as high-fiber diets, probiotics, prebiotics, postbiotics, exercise, and fecal microbiota transplantation as promising ways to support metabolic health.

30 Mar 2026

How do diet, smoking, alcohol, and stress reshape the female microbiome?

This review examines how modifiable lifestyle and environmental factors shape the female vaginal, gut, oral, and skin microbiomes, with diet, alcohol, smoking, obesity, stress, hygiene, physical activity, and sexual behaviours all linked to site-specific microbial shifts. It argues that understanding these patterns could help guide future female-focused prevention and intervention strategies.

30 Mar 2026

Modern lifestyle amplifies genetic risk for type 2 diabetes

Some people have a greater genetic risk than others of developing type 2 diabetes. Now, more of these at-risk people are actually developing diabetes than previously.

30 Mar 2026

Time-restricted eating improves hormone levels in women with PCOS

Polycystic ovary syndrome, or PCOS, affects as many as 18% of all childbearing-age women. The condition occurs when a woman's body produces too much of a group of hormones called androgens, chiefly testosterone. Menstrual irregularity, obesity and even infertility can result.

30 Mar 2026

Higher sugar intake raises gallstone risk in adults, study finds

A cross-sectional NHANES study of 8,975 U.S. adults found that higher total dietary sugar intake was associated with higher odds of gallstones, with each 100 g/day increase linked to a 41% rise after full adjustment. The findings suggest sugar intake may be a modifiable gallstone risk factor, but the study relied on self-reported gallstones and cannot establish causation.

29 Mar 2026

New analysis reveals flaws in traditional BMI classification system

Research from Italy to be presented at this year's European Congress on Obesity (ECO 2026, Istanbul, Turkey, 12-15 May) and published in the journal Nutrients shows that when the gold standard technique of dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is used to measure body fat in the general population, it shows that the traditional WHO body mass index (BMI) classification system misidentifies significant numbers of people as having overweight or obesity.

27 Mar 2026

New algorithm enables precise subtyping of metabolic liver disease

Metabolic-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is a clinically heterogeneous condition with highly variable outcomes affecting more than 30% individuals globally.

26 Mar 2026

Obesity-driven organ enlargement may boost cancer risk

Scientists at City of Hope® and TGen (part of City of Hope) are the first to explain a major mechanism for why gaining excess weight increases your risk of cancer.

26 Mar 2026

Heavily processed foods may raise heart disease risk beyond poor nutrition alone

A 2026 review in Cardiology in Review reports that higher intake of ultra-processed foods is consistently associated with greater risks of cardiovascular disease, stroke, and cardiovascular mortality across cohort studies and meta-analyses. The paper also highlights plausible mechanisms involving gut dysbiosis, oxidative stress, and NF-κB-driven inflammation, with additives such as emulsifiers, preservatives, dyes, and sweeteners discussed as potential contributors.

26 Mar 2026

Healthy thymus gland linked to longer life and immune stability

The thymus is a small organ located in the upper chest that plays a central role in the immune system: it produces T cells - specialized immune cells that recognize and fight pathogens.

26 Mar 2026

Taking a GLP-1? Doctors say not to forget about movement and mental health

Severe ankle pain drove Jelon Smart to start taking a weight loss injection a year and a half ago.

26 Mar 2026

Hormonal contraception not associated with prevalence of idiopathic intracranial hypertension

Hormonal contraception, including birth control pills and intrauterine devices (IUDs), is not associated with an increased prevalence of a brain pressure disorder called idiopathic intracranial hypertension, according to a meta-analysis published on March 25, 2026, in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

25 Mar 2026

Experts propose trial to evaluate obesity medications for cancer prevention

In new research to be presented at this year's European Congress on Obesity (ECO2026) in Istanbul, Turkey (12-15 May), a global panel of 21 obesity and cancer experts suggest that to test the potential efficacy of the new generation of obesity drugs such as semaglutide and tirzepatide in preventing obesity-related cancer (ORC), a trial of the drugs for some 5,000 participants at high risk of cancer due to their having a cancer pre-cursor condition will provide the required answers.

25 Mar 2026