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

Public insurance users pay more for bariatric surgery compared to private insurance patients

A new study from the University of Georgia finds that users of public insurance are paying more for bariatric weight loss surgery compared to private insurance patients.

14 Jul 2020

Study shows smoking is associated with a higher likelihood of COVID-19 progression

As the number of young adults infected with the coronavirus surges throughout the nation, a new study by researchers at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals indicates that youth may not shield people from serious disease.

13 Jul 2020

Parent-based intervention helps reboot healthy eating habits in child cancer survivors

Fussy eating and taste changes are common side effects of cancer treatment – now, a healthy eating program designed by UNSW medical researchers wants to help parents get their child’s diet back on track.

13 Jul 2020

Dysfunctional T cells present at high levels in severe COVID-19

Now, a new study by researchers at Saarland University, Germany, and published on the preprint server medRxiv in July 2020 shows that there are higher levels of anti-SARS-CoV-2 T cells, which show significant alterations in the phenotype and function.

12 Jul 2020

Research identifies specific brain cells that trigger sugar consumption and cravings

New research has identified the specific brain cells that control how much sugar you eat and how much you crave sweet tasting food.

12 Jul 2020

COVID-19-associated stroke patients have higher risk for severe disability and death

Acute ischemic strokes (AIS) associated with COVID-19 are more severe, lead to worse functional outcomes and are associated with higher mortality , according to new research published yesterday in Stroke, a journal of the American Stroke Association, a division of the American Heart Association.

12 Jul 2020

Experts develop a simple questionnaire to raise awareness about managing liver disease

Alcohol's popularity and its central place in socializing in Australia obscures the dangers of excessive drinking and possible liver disease, Flinders University experts warn.

11 Jul 2020

Consuming whey protein at night increases morning blood sugar level in healthy people

Consuming protein at night increases blood sugar level in the morning for healthy people, according to new research presented this week at The Physiological Society's virtual early career conference called Future Physiology 2020.

11 Jul 2020

Novel plasma-coated bandages could revolutionize the treatment of chronic wounds

World-first plasma-coated bandages with the power to attack infection and inflammation could revolutionize the treatment of chronic wounds such as pressure, diabetic or vascular ulcers that won't heal on their own.

10 Jul 2020

Senators Cassidy and Carper urge CMS to update restrictive coverage policies on obesity drugs and IBT

U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and Thomas Carper (D-Del.) are calling on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to lift regulations that deny insurance coverage for obesity drugs and that limit coverage of Intensive Behavioral Therapy amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

10 Jul 2020

Study of 17 million patients pinpoints COVID-19 mortality risk factors

Now, an analysis of 17 million people in England, the most extensive study of its kind, sheds light on certain factors that can increase a person’s chances of dying from COVID-19, the disease caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

10 Jul 2020

Volunteers can now register for coronavirus disease vaccine trials

In an attempt to recruit many volunteers, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) has established a new clinical COVID-19 Prevention Trials Network (COVPN) that aims to enroll thousands of volunteers to test various investigational vaccines against the SARS-CoV-2 infection.

10 Jul 2020

Manifestations of COVID-19 in newborn babies

In a new study titled, “The clinical course of SARS-CoV-2 positive neonates,” Italian researchers led by Guiseppe De Bernado from Division of Pediatrics Neonatology and NICU, Ospedale Buon Consiglio Fatebenefratelli, Naples, explain the course of the infection among newborn babies.

9 Jul 2020