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

Consuming whey protein at night increases morning blood sugar level in healthy people

Consuming protein at night increases blood sugar level in the morning for healthy people, according to new research presented this week at The Physiological Society's virtual early career conference called Future Physiology 2020.

11 Jul 2020

Novel plasma-coated bandages could revolutionize the treatment of chronic wounds

World-first plasma-coated bandages with the power to attack infection and inflammation could revolutionize the treatment of chronic wounds such as pressure, diabetic or vascular ulcers that won't heal on their own.

10 Jul 2020

Senators Cassidy and Carper urge CMS to update restrictive coverage policies on obesity drugs and IBT

U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and Thomas Carper (D-Del.) are calling on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to lift regulations that deny insurance coverage for obesity drugs and that limit coverage of Intensive Behavioral Therapy amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

10 Jul 2020

Study of 17 million patients pinpoints COVID-19 mortality risk factors

Now, an analysis of 17 million people in England, the most extensive study of its kind, sheds light on certain factors that can increase a person’s chances of dying from COVID-19, the disease caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

10 Jul 2020

Volunteers can now register for coronavirus disease vaccine trials

In an attempt to recruit many volunteers, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) has established a new clinical COVID-19 Prevention Trials Network (COVPN) that aims to enroll thousands of volunteers to test various investigational vaccines against the SARS-CoV-2 infection.

10 Jul 2020

Manifestations of COVID-19 in newborn babies

In a new study titled, “The clinical course of SARS-CoV-2 positive neonates,” Italian researchers led by Guiseppe De Bernado from Division of Pediatrics Neonatology and NICU, Ospedale Buon Consiglio Fatebenefratelli, Naples, explain the course of the infection among newborn babies.

9 Jul 2020

Study explains why humans taste some flavors more quickly than others

A new study might explain why humans register some tastes more quickly than others, potentially due to each flavor's molecular size.

9 Jul 2020

Proximity to natural environments benefits formula-fed babies' gut microbiome

Living close to natural green space can mitigate some of the changes in infant gut bacteria associated with formula feeding, according to new research published in the journal Environment International.

9 Jul 2020

Study links fermented vegetable consumption to low COVID-19 mortality

An intriguing new study by researchers in Europe suggests that coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) mortality rates are likely to be lower in countries where diets are rich in fermented vegetables.

8 Jul 2020

School's food offerings and physical activity environment associated with lower BMI for students

Students at elementary and secondary schools that offer healthier food offerings and more opportunities for physical activities have a healthier body mass index, according to Rutgers researchers.

8 Jul 2020

Taller children have higher risk of developing obesity

Children who are relatively tall for their age have a higher risk of developing obesity, according to a new study published in Obesity.

8 Jul 2020

Microbiome of first stool may predict infant's likelihood of developing obesity

Meconium—the earliest stool of an infant—is composed of materials ingested during the time the infant spends in the uterus.

8 Jul 2020

Researchers examine link between deforestation, agricultural diversity, and food access

Ten years ago, non-indigenous households from three communities in the Ucayali region in Peru regularly ate fish, wild fruits and other products collected from the Amazon forest.

8 Jul 2020

Risk of severe COVID-19 in ~50 kb genomic segment inherited from Neanderthals

Researchers have found that a small fragment of the genetic code that has been inherited by modern humans from Neanderthals could carry the secret of why some people succumb to a severe form of COVID-19 requiring hospitalization, while others recover.

7 Jul 2020

Early life BMI linked to cardiovascular disease signs at 11-12 years

Toddlers who were obese or overweight show concerning signs of cardiovascular disease at 11-12 years of age, according to a new study led by the Murdoch Children's Research Institute (MCRI).

7 Jul 2020

Boosting manganese levels during pregnancy could potentially reduce preeclampsia risk

An analysis of data from more than 1,300 women followed prospectively through pregnancy found that women with lower levels of the essential mineral manganese in early pregnancy were more likely to develop the serious high blood pressure syndrome called preeclampsia in late pregnancy, according to a new study led by researchers from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

7 Jul 2020

Study shows how non-alcoholic fatty liver disease causes Alzheimer's-like neuroinflammation

Research from University of South Carolina associate professor Saurabh Chatterjee's laboratory in Environmental Health Sciences, Arnold School of Public Health, and led by Ayan Mondal, a postdoctoral researcher from the same lab, has revealed the cause behind the previously established link between non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (i.e., NAFLD, recently reclassified as metabolic associated fatty liver disease or MAFLD) and neurological problems.

6 Jul 2020

Short, frequent walks in blue spaces may have a positive effect on well-being and mood

Short, frequent walks in blue spaces--areas that prominently feature water, such as beaches, lakes, rivers or fountains--may have a positive effect on people's well-being and mood, according to a new study led by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health, a center supported by the "la Caixa" Foundation.

6 Jul 2020

Obesity and BME status may place individuals at high-risk of contracting COVID-19

Obese people among black and minority ethnic communities (BME) are at around two times higher the risk of contracting COVID-19 than white Europeans, a study conducted by a team of Leicester researchers has found.

6 Jul 2020