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 Respiratory Disorders

Obesity and Skin Problems

Obesity in Adults

Fat Mass and Obesity-Associated Gene (FTO)

Obesity and Blood Pressure

What does Sleeve Gastrectomy Involve?

Obesity Epidemiology

Obesity and Heart Disease

What is Obesity Paradox?

Dieting for Obese Children

Obesity and Sleep

See more featured articles »

Obesity and Cancer

Obesity in Children

Abdominal Obesity and the Metabolic Syndrome

Causes of Obesity and Overweight

Obesity and Diabetes

Obesity, What Can be Done?

Obesity and Periodontitis

Obesity and Fractures

Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome

Why is Visceral Fat Dangerous?

Obesity and Fast Food

Obesity and Anesthesia

Obesity and Stress

Obesity and Arthritis

What is Body Mass Index (BMI)?

Obesity Management

Obesity and Depression

Obesity and Sexual Health

Obesity and Infertility

Obesity and Hormones

Obesity and Autism

Obesity and Exercise

Obesity and Genetics

Obesity in Pregnancy

Latest Obesity News and Research

Gut bacteria use food signals to manage body's biological clock

Biological clocks are often associated with light. Historically, most people start their days when the sun is up, and end their days when the sun sets.

22 Oct 2026

Emotion management helps teens maintain weight loss after treatment

Researchers from University of California San Diego have found that adding emotion management skills to family-based behavioral weight management may help adolescents maintain weight loss after treatment ends.

22 Oct 2026

Intermittent fasting combined with exercise promotes weight loss in obese adults

A trial led by the Joint University Institute for Sport and Health shows benefits regarding weight, body fat, and cardiorespiratory fitness in people with obesity.

22 Oct 2026

Obesity impairs key immune cells but bariatric surgery reverses damage

New Maynooth University (MU) research led by the Department of Biology's Dr Ciara Flynn, working within the research group of Prof Andrew Hogan at the Kathleen Lonsdale Institute for Human Health Research has found that obesity can impair key immune cells that help protect the body against infection and cancer.

22 Oct 2026

Semaglutide and teduglutide reduce immune-driven gut injury in mice

Researchers found that gut-derived GLP-1 and GLP-2 signaling helped protect mice against T cell-induced intestinal injury, with GLP-1R primarily regulating inflammation and GLP-2R supporting intestinal repair. Semaglutide and teduglutide, administered separately or together, reduced acute intestinal damage in mice lacking intestinal proglucagon, suggesting potential avenues for investigating treatments for immune-mediated gut injury.

21 Oct 2026

A nine-year study reveals a pattern linking loneliness to heart risk

The study reveals that patterns of loneliness and social isolation significantly impact heart health, suggesting new avenues for cardiovascular risk assessment.

21 Oct 2026

Could a hormone from our bones reveal early signs of insulin resistance?

Research reveals a link between osteocalcin and insulin resistance in obese children, suggesting early metabolic changes before glucose tolerance impairment.

21 Oct 2026

Why the same healthy diet may not work the same way for everyone

A review published in Nutrients proposes a seven-pillar precision nutrition framework that combines biological, behavioral, and environmental information to tailor dietary interventions throughout life. The authors identify potential benefits for cardiovascular, respiratory, blood, and sleep health, while emphasizing the need for further clinical trials to establish effective, accessible, and personalized nutritional strategies.

20 Oct 2026

Experts weigh risks of using gene therapies for common diseases

Gene therapy is no longer the future of medicine - it's reality. Treatments that replace, silence or edit genes are already changing clinical care.

20 Oct 2026

New study identifies protein factor linked to chronic liver disease

The mechanisms that cause the world's most common chronic liver disease — Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) — to develop and progress are not still fully understood.

20 Oct 2026

Researchers investigate molecular mechanisms linking high-calorie diets to cognitive decline

The molecular mechanisms linking a high calorie diet to cognitive impairment remain unclear. Researchers at Institute of Science Tokyo, Japan, investigated this association in mice, finding that the diet reduced nuclear protein PQBP1 expression, disrupting the alternative splicing of genes involved in synaptic function.

20 Oct 2026

GLP-1 drugs may protect kidney health in people with bipolar disorder

Mayo Clinic researchers found that GLP-1 receptor agonists, medications widely used for diabetes and weight management, were associated with a lower risk of dialysis or kidney transplantation in adults with bipolar disorder and chronic kidney disease.

20 Oct 2026

Researchers use mitochondrial uncouplers to target breast cancer metastasis

Mitochondrial serine catabolic pathway (MSCP), also called serine, glycine, and one-carbon metabolism, is essential for cancer cells to produce amino acids, one-carbon units, and reducing equivalents.

19 Oct 2026

Miro1 protein linked to insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes

A protein called Miro1 found at elevated levels in the skeletal muscle of people with Type 2 diabetes may contribute to insulin resistance, potentially making it a target for future treatments that help the body regulate blood sugar, according to a study published today in Nature Communications.

19 Oct 2026

GLP-1 medications linked to reduced postoperative infections and heart complications

GLP-1 medications, widely prescribed for diabetes and weight loss, may also help protect people from serious complications after surgery.

19 Oct 2026

Could ultraprocessed foods affect your brain before you notice?

Ultraprocessed food intake correlates with increased body fat and vascular brain injury in middle-aged adults, though cognitive performance remains unaffected.

19 Oct 2026

Could this flowering plant help people lose body fat?

Lythrum salicaria extract supplementation led to body fat reduction in a clinical trial, suggesting a promising plant-based approach to weight management.

19 Oct 2026

What you did last week may be the strongest clue to how much you'll exercise this week

Researchers analyzing exercise records from 5.17 million Strava users across 65 countries found that recent exercise history was the strongest predictor of whether individuals would meet a weekly physical activity threshold during the COVID-19 pandemic. Physical activity patterns varied considerably across regions, with greater disruption in many middle-income countries and better adherence associated with greater access to outdoor exercise facilities.

18 Oct 2026

Yoghurt, coffee and chocolate have something in common, and researchers mapped it across Europe

Researchers surveyed 12,646 adults across 53 European countries and found that fermented dairy products were widely consumed, while other fermented foods showed considerable regional differences in popularity and intake. The findings revealed that high consumer prevalence did not necessarily translate into substantial consumption, highlighting the importance of measuring both how many people eat fermented foods and the quantities they consume.

18 Oct 2026

You don't need 10,000 steps a day to benefit your heart, cardiologists say

A new American College of Cardiology scientific statement recommends integrating individualized exercise prescriptions into routine cardiovascular care, drawing on evidence supporting aerobic activity, resistance training, and cardiac rehabilitation. The authors emphasize that previously inactive individuals have the most to gain from increasing physical activity, while exercise recommendations should consider individual health conditions, functional capacity, and safety.

18 Oct 2026