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

Study suggests potential role for probiotics in preventing respiratory infections

Daily probiotic use was associated with fewer upper respiratory symptoms in overweight and older people, according to a study that suggests a potential role for probiotics in preventing respiratory infections.

14 May 2021

Minorities substantially underrepresented in pancreatic cancer clinical trials

Despite the fact that certain racial and ethnic minorities get pancreatic cancer more often, are diagnosed at a younger age and die sooner, clinical trials fail to include representative proportions of non-White patients at every phase of study, according to research that was selected for presentation at Digestive Disease Week 2021.

14 May 2021

A look at how coronavirus disease (COVID-19) affects Parkinson's

Earlier, herpes simplex virus (HSV), influenza virus A, measles virus, cytomegalovirus (CMV), and mumps virus have all been associated with after-effects of the virus that includes Parkinson's disease (PD). This list may now include SARS-CoV-2.

14 May 2021

Higher fruit and vegetable intake associated with less stress

Eating a diet rich in fruit and vegetables is associated with less stress, according to new research from Edith Cowan University.

13 May 2021

Obesity-related cancer deaths are declining at a slower pace, shows study

Cancer death rates have fallen dramatically in the United States, but factor in obesity, as researchers did at the University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health, and the picture changes.

13 May 2021

Huge healthcare burden of post-COVID-19 symptoms likely, suggests new study

How well do patients who had COVID-19 recover after the virus is cleared from their systems? A new preprint reports on symptom profiles over the first nine months of the illness.

13 May 2021

Comprehensive blood atlas of COVID-19 identifies hallmarks of disease severity

Researchers in the UK have presented a multi-omics integrated blood atlas that delineates the host immune response in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) of varying severity, providing a unique reference resource for the interpretation of datasets generated from interventional trials.

13 May 2021

Girls more likely to develop metabolic alterations associated with obesity than boys

A study of 92 adolescents conducted in Brazil suggests girls are more likely than boys to develop metabolic alterations associated with obesity, such as high blood pressure and excessive blood levels of cholesterol and triglycerides (dyslipidemia).

12 May 2021

Study examines a pathway responsible for the formation of tau tangles in the brain

Since the discovery of Alzheimer's disease over a century ago, two hallmarks of the devastating illness have taken center stage.

12 May 2021

Scientists identify molecular mechanism behind weight gain in patients taking antipsychotics

Scientists with UT Southwestern's Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute have identified the molecular mechanism that can cause weight gain for those using a common antipsychotic medication.

12 May 2021

Study examines the connection between human gut microbiota and health, mortality

The study conducted by the University of Turku and the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare together with an international research team is so far the largest population-level study in the world examining the connection between human gut microbiota and health and mortality in the following decades.

12 May 2021

Severe COVID-19 infections in pregnant women do not increase risk of death

Pregnant women who develop severe COVID-19 infections that require hospitalization for pneumonia and other complications may not be more likely to die from these infections than non-pregnant women.

12 May 2021

Chronic pain is becoming more common in the United States

Americans are in chronic pain, and a comprehensive new study exploring trends in this major public health concern reveals that what has been a long-standing and under-acknowledged problem is getting substantially worse.

12 May 2021

Hospitalized pregnant women less likely to die from COVID-19 than non-pregnant patients

Pregnant women who are hospitalized with COVID-19 and viral pneumonia are less likely than non-pregnant women to die from these infections, according to a new study by researchers with The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston and the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

11 May 2021

Severe COVID-19 linked to genetic clotting predisposition

Thus, the need to stratify the risk of severe or critical disease in patients presenting with SARS-CoV-2 infection remains a crying necessity. A new preprint research paper posted to the medRxiv server discusses the relationship between severe disease and pre-existing susceptibility to clots and other diseases of the cardiovascular system.

11 May 2021

Experts discuss the role of hormones in everyday life, highlight policy measures to address challenges

Today, EU policymakers, experts, patient representatives and other stakeholders gathered online to discuss the role of hormones in our everyday life, its interlinkage with prevalent non-communicable diseases and the policy measures required to address the many challenges in this rapidly growing area of human health.

11 May 2021

Machine learning approach helps study human hypothalamus at the single-cell level

Human brain organoids are remarkable platforms for modeling features of human brain development and diseases.

11 May 2021

Meal premiums in child-directed fast-food TV advertisements work against obesity prevention efforts

A new Dartmouth-led study, published this week in the journal Pediatrics, has found that the disproportionate use of premiums within child-targeted TV advertising for children's fast-food meals is deceptive.

10 May 2021

Cardiovascular risk factors accumulated from childhood linked to poorer brain function at midlife

Managing weight, blood pressure and cholesterol in children may help protect brain function in later life, according to new research published today in the American Heart Association's flagship journal Circulation.

10 May 2021

Inflammasomes could play an important role in the development of obesity-related colon cancer

New research presented at this year's European Congress on Obesity (held online, 10-13 May) finds evidence that structures called inflammasomes (a part of the innate immune system that helps to regulate inflammation) could play an important role in the development of obesity-associated colon cancer.

10 May 2021