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

Genetic analysis finds link between obesity-related genes and rheumatoid arthritis

An analysis of genetic data collected from more than 850,000 individuals of European ancestry has found a link between obesity-related genes and rheumatoid arthritis.

23 Sep 2020

Owlstone Medical releases positive study results on use of breath biopsy for better liver disease diagnosis

Owlstone Medical, the global leader in Breath Biopsy for applications in early disease detection and precision medicine, today announced the results of a patient study that successfully demonstrates the use of exhaled limonene as a breath biomarker to measure liver function and stage liver disease.

From Owlstone Medical Ltd 23 Sep 2020

Shielding strategy could be ineffective in reducing COVID-19 prevalence and mortality

With the recognition that certain subgroups of the population seemed to have a higher risk of developing severe disease following infection, some countries put shielding policies into place to protect them from infection.

23 Sep 2020

Black young adults pay a higher price to achieve prosperity

The American dream of achieving prosperity requires hard work and sacrifice, and some Americans pay a higher price for that dream than others, according to a new study from University of Georgia researchers.

23 Sep 2020

Exercise hormone could have a therapeutic effect on COVID-19 patients

A study conducted by researchers at São Paulo State University suggests that irisin, a hormone secreted from muscles in response to exercise, could have a therapeutic effect on COVID-19 patients.

22 Sep 2020

Farming population is highly vulnerable to COVID-19

Preventing the horrific mortality and ill health consequences of COVID-19 infection poses a huge and on-going challenge in Ireland and among the farming community over the coming months.

22 Sep 2020

Respiratory specimens testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 decrease in the U.S., CDC report

In the report, published on Sept. 18, the CDC shows that indicators tracking COVID-19 activity continued to decline or remain stable. Still, two regions say a slight increase in the percentage of specimens testing positive for SARS-CoV-2. Meanwhile, four regions reported a slight increase in the percent of outpatient or emergency department visits for influenza-like illness (ILI).

22 Sep 2020

Over 20% of Americans suffer from food shortage, study reveals

More than 18 percent of U.S. adults do not know whether they will have enough to eat from day to day, and the numbers are worse for Hispanics, Blacks, people with obesity, and women, a new report shows

22 Sep 2020

Diabetes leads to drastic reduction in the kidney's potential to clean itself

The kidneys often become bulky and dysfunctional in diabetes, and now scientists have found that one path to this damage dramatically reduces the kidney's ability to clean up after itself.

22 Sep 2020

Middle-aged people report more pain than older Americans, study finds

A new study finds middle-aged Americans are now reporting more pain than the elderly -- and it has to do with their level of education and that pain is rising more quickly in younger people.

22 Sep 2020

Early bedtime helps people with diabetes lead a healthy, active lifestyle

Conducted by the University of Leicester and the University of South Australia, the study assessed the bedtime preferences (sleep chronotypes) of people with type 2 diabetes, identifying a connection between bedtimes and healthy, active lifestyles.

21 Sep 2020

Genomic adaptations to rice‐based diets contribute to mitigation of metabolic risk

The traditional rice-based diet of some east-Asian population has brought to a number of genomic adaptations that may contribute to mitigating the spread of diabetes and obesity.

21 Sep 2020

Older racial and ethnic minority nursing home residents suffer the most from COVID-19

Older racial and ethnic minority residents and their caregivers bear the severest brunt from COVID-19 across the entire spectrum of US nursing homes and assisted living communities, University of Rochester Medical Center researchers report in two groundbreaking studies in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society

21 Sep 2020

New study identifies more than 2,000 undiagnosed cases of type 2 diabetes

A study of approximately 200,000 blood samples from the UK Biobank has identified more than 2,000 undiagnosed cases of type 2 diabetes.

21 Sep 2020

Access to low or no-cost meals disrupted due to school closures during COVID-19

School closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted access to low or no-cost school breakfast and lunch programs for millions of low-income children.

19 Sep 2020

T cells on the front line of COVID-19 response

In the new study, published in the journal Cell, the team has found that the uncoordinated responses produced by the immune system, especially in people who are more than 65 years old, maybe the reason why older adults are more at risk.

17 Sep 2020

Non-invasive neurotechnology can improve insomnia symptoms and autonomic function

For people with chronic insomnia, a good night's sleep is elusive. But what if insomnia symptoms could be alleviated by simply listening to one's own brainwaves?

17 Sep 2020

CNIC researchers uncover a mechanism explaining how macrophages regulate obesity

Macrophages are immune system cells. They are essential in the early response to infections, and they also have a key role in the proper functioning of our tissues and the regulation of obesity.

17 Sep 2020

LOX-1-immature neutrophils may help identify COVID-19 patients at risk of thrombosis complication

To predict severe outcome in COVID-19 patients, innate immune cellular signals are analyzed, identifying two novel neutrophil subsets: LOX-1- and CD123-expressing CD10-CD64+. Thromboembolic events correlated with high LOX-1 immature neutrophils – a potential prognostic signature.

17 Sep 2020

Time-restricted feeding does not influence the muscle’s core clock, study finds

For the first time, scientists have studied the early effects of time-restricted feeding on the daily periodic oscillations of metabolites and genes in muscle, and metabolites in blood.

17 Sep 2020