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 Heart Disease

Obesity and Exercise

Obesity Epidemiology

Obesity Management

What is Obesity Paradox?

Obesity and Hormones

Obesity and Depression

Obesity and Periodontitis

What is Body Mass Index (BMI)?

Why is Visceral Fat Dangerous?

Obesity and Skin Problems

See more featured articles »

Dieting for Obese Children

Obesity and Fast Food

Abdominal Obesity and the Metabolic Syndrome

Obesity and Autism

What does Sleeve Gastrectomy Involve?

Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome

Fat Mass and Obesity-Associated Gene (FTO)

Obesity in Adults

Obesity and Sexual Health

Obesity and Anesthesia

Obesity and Diabetes

Obesity and Sleep

Causes of Obesity and Overweight

Obesity and Arthritis

Obesity and Fractures

Obesity and Respiratory Disorders

Obesity and Cancer

Obesity in Pregnancy

Obesity, What Can be Done?

Obesity and Genetics

Obesity and Stress

Obesity and Blood Pressure

Obesity and Infertility

Obesity in Children

Latest Obesity News and Research

Why keto appears to lower blood pressure for some people but not others

A narrative review finds that ketogenic diets may modestly lower blood pressure through weight loss, reduced visceral fat, improved insulin sensitivity, fluid and electrolyte shifts, and anti-inflammatory effects. However, effects vary across studies, long-term cardiovascular evidence remains limited, and diet quality, hydration, electrolyte balance, and medication monitoring are important.

17 Aug 2026

What happens to body fat when people follow the Eatwell Guide?

Higher adherence to the UK Eatwell Guide was associated with lower BMI, waist circumference, total body fat, and trunk fat in more than 156,000 UK Biobank participants. The associations persisted prospectively across demographic, physical activity, and genetic-risk groups, supporting the role of diet quality in weight management.

16 Aug 2026

Sprint exercise sends a very different molecular signal through the body

Sprint-interval exercise triggers a much larger and faster shift in circulating proteins and metabolites than moderate-intensity exercise, revealing distinct patterns of predicted communication between organs. The findings suggest that exercise intensity shapes systemic molecular signaling, with skeletal muscle and adipose tissue emerging as potential source and target tissues linked to cardiometabolic health.

16 Aug 2026

Self-guided online compassion therapy may improve quality of life in chronic illness

A fully self-guided, internet-delivered attachment-based compassion therapy improved overall quality of life and reduced preoccupied attachment compared with a waiting-list control in adults with chronic medical conditions. The findings are preliminary, with high attrition, no active control, and most secondary psychological outcomes showing no significant between-group differences.

16 Aug 2026

Rutgers study supports waist measurements for routine obesity screening

Measuring waist size may be one of the simplest and most effective ways to detect obesity-related health risks, according to a study by Rutgers Health researchers.

14 Aug 2026

Three minutes of sprinting dramatically reshape molecular contents of the bloodstream

Three minutes of sprinting can do something that 90 minutes of moderate exercise apparently cannot: dramatically reshape the molecular contents of the bloodstream.

14 Aug 2026

Mitochondrial protein deficiency drives increased fat intake and obesity

Obesity is a global health concern that can contribute to diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and other metabolic disorders.

13 Aug 2026

Liver’s internal clock coordinates daily metabolic communication, study finds

What if one of the keys to a healthier metabolism is understanding how and when the liver communicates with the rest of the body?

12 Aug 2026

Ultra-processed foods linked to higher prostate cancer risk in men

Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) account for nearly 60% of adults' and 70% of children's energy intake in the United States.

12 Aug 2026

Insilico Medicine nominates powerful oral drug candidate for the management of heart risks

Insilico Medicine, a clinical-stage generative artificial intelligence (AI)-driven drug discovery company, today announced the nomination of ISM0900, a potent, AI-driven, highly selective, orally available small molecule inhibitor of lipoprotein(a), or Lp(a), as a preclinical candidate (PCC) for the management of cardiovascular risks.

12 Aug 2026

Childhood overweight linked to lower childbirth rates later in reproductive life

Women with childhood overweight or obesity trajectories had lower hazards of childbirth from their mid-20s onward, with the strongest associations emerging after age 30. Childhood BMI trajectories were generally not associated with diagnosed infertility, suggesting that biological infertility alone may not explain the reduced childbirth rates.

11 Aug 2026

Study: Nearly all personal care and cleaning products contain undisclosed chemicals

A new study of sunscreens, baby lotions, shampoos, soaps, and other everyday products found that nearly all contained chemicals not disclosed on their labels.

11 Aug 2026

Waist size predicts heart disease risk better than body mass index

The size of a person's midsection is a better indicator of cardiovascular disease risk when compared to their body mass index (BMI) alone, according to a study published in JACC, the flagship journal of the American College of Cardiology.

11 Aug 2026

Semaglutide slows blood protein signature linked to future dementia risk

A post hoc analysis of 2,970 older SELECT participants found that semaglutide slowed worsening of a 25-protein blood signature that predicts future dementia risk. Over 104 weeks, semaglutide produced larger effects on modeled 5-year than 20-year dementia risk, but whether these biomarker changes translate into less cognitive decline or dementia remains unknown.

10 Aug 2026

Phthalates may contribute to high blood pressure in pregnant women

Phthalates, which are chemicals found in plastics, personal care products and hundreds of other consumer goods, may contribute to high blood pressure in pregnant women, according to a study published in the Journal of the Endocrine Society.

10 Aug 2026

Natural hormone activates brain-to-liver signaling pathway to suppress liver inflammation

Researchers at McMaster University have discovered that a naturally occurring hormone best known for suppressing appetite and promoting weight loss also helps protect the liver from inflammation through a previously unknown signalling pathway, opening new possibilities for treating advanced fatty liver disease.

10 Aug 2026

Simple biological age score flags higher cognitive decline risk in older adults

A study of 4,818 middle-aged and older Chinese adults found that higher light BioAge was associated with greater risks of cognitive impairment, episodic memory decline, and reduced mental intactness. The simple measure, based on age, creatinine, glucose, and CRP, added modest predictive information but requires further validation before clinical use.

10 Aug 2026

Metabolic stress triggers long-lasting immune system changes in diabetes patients

A growing understanding of trained immunity, a form of long-lasting immune system adaptation, is reshaping how scientists view diabetes and its many complications.

7 Aug 2026

Nighttime light linked to conflicting signs of biological aging

Higher residential nighttime light exposure was associated with contrasting biological aging patterns in nearly 300,000 UK Biobank participants, depending on the aging algorithm used. PhenoAge and homeostatic dysregulation suggested a potentially adverse aging pattern, while KDM-BA showed the opposite association, underscoring uncertainty about how nighttime light relates to biological aging.

6 Aug 2026

New review links obesity with accelerated biological aging mechanisms

The global rise in obesity and population aging represents a major public health challenge, with growing evidence suggesting that excess body fat not only increases the risk of chronic disease but may also accelerate the biological aging process.

6 Aug 2026