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 Stress

What is Obesity Paradox?

Obesity Management

Obesity, What Can be Done?

Obesity and Respiratory Disorders

Obesity and Infertility

Obesity in Adults

Obesity and Fractures

Obesity and Sexual Health

Obesity in Pregnancy

Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome

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Obesity Epidemiology

Why is Visceral Fat Dangerous?

Obesity and Diabetes

Obesity and Skin Problems

What is Body Mass Index (BMI)?

Obesity and Anesthesia

Obesity and Fast Food

Obesity and Periodontitis

Fat Mass and Obesity-Associated Gene (FTO)

Obesity and Genetics

Dieting for Obese Children

Obesity and Sleep

Obesity and Hormones

Obesity and Autism

Obesity and Depression

Obesity and Exercise

Obesity in Children

Obesity and Heart Disease

Obesity and Blood Pressure

What does Sleeve Gastrectomy Involve?

Obesity and Cancer

Causes of Obesity and Overweight

Abdominal Obesity and the Metabolic Syndrome

Obesity and Arthritis

Latest Obesity News and Research

Carrot fiber supplement boosts gut bacteria and immune defenses

This trial reveals that carrot-derived rhamnogalacturonan-I boosts Bifidobacteria and supports immune function, highlighting its potential for gut health.

18 Sep 2025

Scientists unveil new obesity drug that reprograms fat and energy use

Details of a new drug that aims to treat the underlying causes of obesity are being presented at the annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) in Vienna, Austria (15-19 September).

18 Sep 2025

Psoriasis linked to higher risk of age-related macular degeneration

New research presented today at the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) Congress 2025 reveals that people with psoriasis face a significantly increased risk of developing age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a leading cause of vision loss.

17 Sep 2025

GLP-1RAs linked to lower risk of mortality and cardiovascular events in psoriasis patients

Psoriasis patients treated with glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) face a 78% lower risk of death and a 44% lower risk of major cardiovascular events compared to those taking other diabetes or weight-loss medications, new research has shown.

17 Sep 2025

New genetic test can help predict how people will respond to weight-loss medications

Mayo Clinic researchers have developed a genetic test that can help predict how people will respond to weight loss medications such as GLP-1s.

17 Sep 2025

Wearable sensors uncover five hidden patterns of overeating

What if your smart watch could sense when you're about to raid the fridge, and gently steer you toward a healthier choice instead?

17 Sep 2025

Peroxisomes identified as alternative heat producers in brown fat

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have identified a novel way brown fat - an energy-burning form of fat - can rev the body's metabolic engine, consuming cellular fuel and producing heat in a way that improves metabolic health.

17 Sep 2025

High fat diet impairs memory formation through autophagy dysfunction

Modern lifestyles and dietary changes have significantly increased the consumption of high-fat foods, contributing to a steep rise in the prevalence of obesity, diabetes, and metabolic disorders.

17 Sep 2025

Special subgroup of bifidobacteria found to reduce antibiotic resistance in infants

Researchers from the Technical University of Denmark, DTU, document that a special subgroup of naturally occurring bifidobacteria plays a crucial role in reducing antibiotic resistance in infants.

17 Sep 2025

Watching more than 4 hours of TV daily raises the risk of cognitive decline

This study finds a link between long TV viewing and cognitive impairment, stressing the importance of addressing sedentary lifestyles for dementia prevention.

17 Sep 2025

A new tool in the fight against obesity: Orforglipron's substantial weight loss results

New research presented at the Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes in Vienna, Austria (Sept 15-19) and simultaneously published in NEJM shows that daily treatment with the new once-daily GLP-1 agonist orforglipron results in substantial weight loss in people living with obesity that do not have type 2 diabetes.

17 Sep 2025

GLP-1 drugs found to protect against diabetic retinopathy

GLP-1 receptor agonist drugs protect against diabetic retinopathy, a common complication of diabetes that can lead to sight loss, suggests new research being presented at the annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) in Vienna, Austria (15-19 September) and published in the journal Pharmaceutics.

17 Sep 2025

The 15th AACR cancer progress report highlights scientific advances

The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) released the 15th edition of its annual Cancer Progress Report. A cornerstone of the AACR's educational and advocacy efforts, this comprehensive report provides the latest statistics on cancer incidence, mortality, and survivorship and highlights how federal investments in basic, translational, and clinical cancer research and cancer-related population sciences have led to impressive scientific advances that are improving health and saving lives.

17 Sep 2025

Exercise found to reduce artery hardening after weight loss in adults with obesity

Maintaining weight loss with regular exercise rather than the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1RA) liraglutide, a drug used to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity, seems to reduce atherosclerosis development in adults with obesity-a leading underlying cause of cardiovascular disease.

17 Sep 2025

Common bladder infection may signal urogenital cancer risk

A bout of the common bladder infection, cystitis, may signal the presence of urogenital cancers-which affect parts of the body involved in reproduction and excretion-in middle aged adults, suggests research published in the open access journal BMJ Public Health.

17 Sep 2025

Study highlights critical mental health risk for eczema patients

A new international study presented today at the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) Congress 2025 reveals that adults with atopic eczema (AE) are significantly more likely to experience suicidal thoughts, with researchers uncovering the key factors driving this elevated risk.

17 Sep 2025

Uterine corpus malignancies with pregnancy-like features lead to poor survival outcomes

A new review was published in Volume 12 of Oncoscience on September 4, 2025, titled "Prognostic significance of trophoblastic differentiation and β-hCG secretion in somatic malignancies of uterine corpus: A systematic review with survival analysis."

16 Sep 2025

Researchers provide new insights into how exercise helps lose weight

Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine, Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute (Duncan NRI) at Texas Children's Hospital, Stanford University School of Medicine and collaborating institutions provide new insights into how exercise helps lose weight.

16 Sep 2025

Lifestyle changes show promise in preventing cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease

An estimated 7.2 million Americans over age 65 currently live with Alzheimer's disease (AD). That number is expected to nearly double to 13.8 million by 2060.

16 Sep 2025

Higher-dose semaglutide helps people lose nearly 19% of body weight

The STEP UP trial reveals semaglutide 7.2 mg significantly reduces weight compared to 2.4 mg, though it raises questions about gastrointestinal side effects.

16 Sep 2025