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.

What is Body Mass Index (BMI)?

Obesity Epidemiology

Why is Visceral Fat Dangerous?

Causes of Obesity and Overweight

Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome

Obesity and Heart Disease

Obesity and Anesthesia

Obesity and Periodontitis

Obesity and Stress

Obesity and Depression

Obesity, What Can be Done?

See more featured articles »

Obesity and Sexual Health

What is Obesity Paradox?

Obesity and Diabetes

Obesity and Sleep

Obesity and Exercise

Obesity and Fractures

Obesity in Children

Fat Mass and Obesity-Associated Gene (FTO)

Obesity Management

Obesity and Respiratory Disorders

Obesity and Infertility

Abdominal Obesity and the Metabolic Syndrome

Dieting for Obese Children

Obesity and Autism

Obesity and Genetics

Obesity in Adults

Obesity and Blood Pressure

Obesity and Cancer

Obesity in Pregnancy

What does Sleeve Gastrectomy Involve?

Obesity and Hormones

Obesity and Skin Problems

Obesity and Arthritis

Obesity and Fast Food

Latest Obesity News and Research

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

Testosterone benefits older men with T2D risk when combined with lifestyle changes

Testosterone treatment may improve body composition, glucose metabolism and sexual desire in some older men at high risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D), but the benefits require engagement in a lifestyle program, according to a study being presented Saturday at ENDO 2026, the Endocrine Society's annual meeting in Chicago, Ill.

14 Jun 2026

Eliminating dietary sugar may disrupt gut health and promote inflammation

Eliminating sugar from your diet may be more detrimental than previously thought, according to an animal study being presented Saturday at ENDO 2026, the Endocrine Society's annual meeting in Chicago, Ill.

14 Jun 2026

Diabetes raises mortality risk after solid-organ transplantation

People with an organ transplant who develop or have existing diabetes are more likely to die than those without diabetes, according to a comprehensive analysis of solid-organ transplant recipients, which is being presented Saturday at ENDO 2026, the Endocrine Society's annual meeting in Chicago, Ill.

14 Jun 2026

Physical activity declines after starting GLP-1 obesity treatments

Adults with obesity losing weight with glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist medications significantly decreased their physical activity, which is essential to protect muscle, according to a study being presented Saturday at ENDO 2026, the Endocrine Society's annual meeting in Chicago, Ill.

14 Jun 2026

AI model could improve screening for primary aldosteronism

A study of a new AI model examining 30 years of routine electronic health records (EHR) data could improve screening for primary aldosteronism, a leading cause of high blood pressure that is often unrecognized but increases patients' risk of cardiovascular complications, according to a study being presented Saturday at ENDO 2026, the Endocrine Society's annual meeting in Chicago, Ill.

14 Jun 2026

New guideline recommends tailored care for precocious puberty

Some subgroups of children with precocious puberty-such as older girls with slowly progressing puberty-may not need the same level of testing or treatment, according to a new Endocrine Society Clinical Practice Guideline released today.

14 Jun 2026

Comprehensive food regulations lower obesity risk among children

Chile's complementary set of policies targeting food products high in fat, salt and sugar plausibly reduces the risk of school age children being overweight or having obesity, finds a study published in The Lancet.

11 Jun 2026

Oral semaglutide improves blood sugar, weight, and liver markers in real-world diabetes care

A nationwide Finnish registry study of 7,249 GLP-1RA-naïve adults with type 2 diabetes found that once-daily oral semaglutide was associated with 12-month improvements in HbA1c, body weight, lipid markers, and ALT.

11 Jun 2026

Oral GLP-1 drug elecoglipron helps adults lose up to 11.8% body weight

Once-daily oral elecoglipron produced dose-dependent weight loss in adults with obesity or overweight without diabetes, with mean reductions reaching 10.5% at 26 weeks and 11.8% at 36 weeks in the highest-dose weekly-titration group. The phase 2 trial found no evidence of a weight-loss plateau by 36 weeks, while gastrointestinal adverse events were common but generally manageable.

11 Jun 2026

Western diet weakens the gut’s nervous system through iron-dependent damage

A JCI study found that exposure to a Western diet in mice and to palmitic acid in murine and ex vivo human enteric nervous system models triggered ferroptosis, characterized by iron loading, lipid peroxidation, mitochondrial stress, and enteric neuronal loss. Boosting Nrf2 signaling protected enteric neurons and prevented Western diet-induced delayed colonic transit in mice, pointing to a potential pathway linking dietary fat exposure to gut motility dysfunction.

10 Jun 2026

Low blood pressure shows strongest link to Alzheimer's disease

Numerous types of cardiovascular disease and CVD risk factors were linked to a higher risk of Alzheimer's disease, with low blood pressure showing the strongest connection, according to a new analysis published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association, an open access, peer-reviewed journal of the American Heart Association.

10 Jun 2026

Study finds indoor cats do not trigger child asthma flares

Asthma is the most common chronic disease and one of the main causes of hospitalization among children. The Global Asthma Network has estimated that its global prevalence is 9.1% for children and 11.0% for adolescents, but this percentage varies greatly between countries, regions, and environments.

10 Jun 2026

GLP-1 medicines may cut clot-related risks in chronically inflamed patients

In a target trial emulation using OneFlorida+ electronic health record data, GLP-1 receptor agonist use in adults with obesity and autoimmune disease was linked to lower hazards of pulmonary embolism, venous thromboembolism, stroke/TIA, emergency department visits, and all-cause mortality.

10 Jun 2026