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 Genetics

Obesity and Fast Food

Dieting for Obese Children

Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome

Obesity and Periodontitis

Obesity and Stress

Obesity and Depression

Obesity and Heart Disease

Obesity and Hormones

Obesity and Cancer

See more featured articles »

What is Body Mass Index (BMI)?

Obesity and Autism

Obesity and Sleep

Obesity and Sexual Health

Obesity and Blood Pressure

Obesity and Anesthesia

Obesity in Children

Obesity Management

Obesity in Adults

Why is Visceral Fat Dangerous?

Obesity and Exercise

Obesity, What Can be Done?

Obesity and Skin Problems

Abdominal Obesity and the Metabolic Syndrome

Obesity and Infertility

What does Sleeve Gastrectomy Involve?

Fat Mass and Obesity-Associated Gene (FTO)

Obesity and Fractures

What is Obesity Paradox?

Obesity in Pregnancy

Causes of Obesity and Overweight

Obesity and Diabetes

Obesity and Arthritis

Obesity Epidemiology

Latest Obesity News and Research

Petrelintide produces double-digit weight loss with fewer side effects

New research to be presented at the Annual Meeting of The European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) in Milan, Italy (Sept 28 – Oct 2) and published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology shows that weekly injections with the new amylin-based obesity drug petrelintide can enable those treated to lose more than 10% of their body weight – generally lower than existing incretin-based (GLP-1 RA) drugs, but also with far fewer side effects.

29 Sep 2026

Researchers found a curious mitochondrial pattern in people who moved more

Researchers found that greater self-reported activity, walking, and accelerometer-measured light activity were associated with higher mitochondrial DNA copy number in 256 healthy middle-aged adults. The cross-sectional findings cannot establish causation, and the very low amount of vigorous activity means they do not show that light movement is more beneficial than higher-intensity exercise.

29 Sep 2026

Cold temperatures may raise eye pressure in glaucoma patients

Lower air temperatures may be associated with an increase in the fluid pressure inside the eye-a cardinal cause of glaucoma-and should be taken into consideration when treating patients with the condition, suggest the findings of research published online in the British Journal of Ophthalmology.

29 Sep 2026

$5.7 million NIH grant supports research on why lean people develop insulin resistance

A Wayne State University research team was awarded a $5.7 million grant from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases of the National Institutes of Health focused on discovering the biological mechanisms that may help explain why some lean people develop insulin resistance while some people with obesity remain sensitive to insulin.

29 Sep 2026

First EU Screening Week urges citizens to know their numbers

At a dedicated press conference at the EASD Annual Meeting in Milan, organized by the European Diabetes Forum (EUDF), three leading European cardiometabolic scientific associations - the European Society of Cardiology (ESC), the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) and the European Association for the Study of Obesity (EASO) - joined European Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare Olivér Várhelyi to welcome the launch of the first-ever EU Screening Week.

29 Sep 2026

University of Liverpool study tracks long-term impact of non-nutritive sweetened soft drinks

Researchers at the University of Liverpool have conducted the longest and most comprehensive randomized controlled trial on non-nutritive sweetened (NNS) soft drinks.

29 Sep 2026

Targeting specific nuclear receptor could help preserve aging muscle function

Scientists in the Gerhart-Hines Group pinpoint a molecular cause of muscle aging, and a possible fix. By investigating how muscles adapt to age and disease-related decline, the scientists discovered the involvement of a druggable nuclear receptor, ERRγ, that could be targeted to preserve muscle function.

29 Sep 2026

Scientists discover how excess dietary salt drives 'lean MASH'

Fatty liver disease is commonly associated with obesity, yet a growing number of people with normal body weight develop a severe form of the condition.

29 Sep 2026

Short voice recordings could screen patients for type 2 diabetes

Signs of type 2 diabetes can be detected in just a few seconds from the way someone talks, new research being presented at the annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) in Milan, Italy (Sept 28 – Oct 2) shows.

29 Sep 2026

Exercise may reshape your gut microbiome to support recovery

Research reveals how exercise alters gut microbes, influencing recovery and proposing 'intestinal rehabilitation' for those with limited exercise capacity.

29 Sep 2026

Can’t stop thinking about food? You’re far from alone

Investigating 'food noise', this study reveals its association with diet quality and mental health, emphasizing demographic influences and eating behaviors.

29 Sep 2026

From wild rice to tarwi, researchers are exploring the health potential of Indigenous foods

A conference paper reviewed North American and Andean Indigenous foods, including Three Sisters crops, wild rice, native berries, tarwi, quinoa, and amaranth, and described their nutrients and bioactive compounds. Evidence for health effects remains limited for many of these foods, and the authors call for research developed with Indigenous communities that also supports traditional knowledge and food sovereignty.

28 Sep 2026

Banning ultra-processed foods brings major hurdles for public schools

Starting in July 2029, public schools are required to start phasing out ultra-processed foods under a new California law that prohibits schools from serving foods high in sugar, fat, salt and certain artificial food additives.

28 Sep 2026

Study reveals why consumers mistake short shelf life for naturalness of food

For years nutrition experts have warned about the many risks of eating ultra-processed foods: among them obesity, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Instead, they advise that consumers opt for more natural offerings.

28 Sep 2026

New diabetes pill orforglipron achieves uniform weight loss for women of all ages

New analyses to be presented at the Annual Meeting of The European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) in Milan, Italy (Sept 28 – Oct 2) show that the new daily oral weight loss / type 2 diabetes medication orforglipron was associated with similar weight loss for women of different ages and at different life stages – premenopausal, experiencing menopause, or post-menopausal.

28 Sep 2026

New EASD study highlights red meat sugar as independent risk factor for type 2 diabetes

Preliminary results of an observational study being presented at the Annual Meeting of The European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) in Milan, Italy (Sept 28 – Oct 2), reveal that a sugar called dietary N-glycolylneuraminic acid (Neu5Gc), which is common in red meat, is independently associated with a 63% higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes (T2D) in those with the highest versus lowest consumption, even after taking into account other T2D risk factors such as level of physical activity, overall diet, smoking status and other health conditions.

28 Sep 2026

Semaglutide cuts major heart events, but researchers still cannot fully explain why

In adults with overweight or obesity and established cardiovascular disease but no diabetes, semaglutide reduced major adverse cardiovascular events by 20%, while changes in measured cardiovascular risk factors could not fully explain the benefit with certainty. The findings suggest that additional, as-yet unidentified biological pathways may contribute to semaglutide’s cardiovascular protection.

27 Sep 2026

New study tracks rising heart and kidney risks in people with type 2 diabetes

The risk of developing chronic kidney disease (CKD) or heart failure (HF), or dying, following a type 2 diabetes (T2D) diagnosis increases substantially over time, according to new research being presented at the Annual Meeting of The European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) in Milan, Italy (Sept 28 – Oct 2).

27 Sep 2026

Why are more younger adults in the Eastern Mediterranean facing colorectal cancer?

A 22-country analysis of modeled GLOBOCAN 2022 data found 15,381 early-onset colorectal cancer cases and 6,965 related deaths across the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region, with substantial differences between countries and comparatively high mortality. Projections suggest that annual case and death counts could rise markedly by 2050, largely due to demographic change, while the findings support screening and detection strategies tailored to local resources and disease burden.

24 Sep 2026

MIT biologists discover cellular pathway that triggers colon cancer spread

Most colon cancer deaths are caused by the spread of tumor cells beyond the colon, usually to the liver. In a new study, MIT biologists identified a cellular pathway necessary for colorectal cancer metastasis.

24 Sep 2026