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.

What is Body Mass Index (BMI)?

Obesity and Hormones

Obesity in Pregnancy

Obesity and Depression

Obesity and Sleep

Obesity and Heart Disease

Obesity and Anesthesia

Obesity and Fractures

Obesity in Children

Obesity and Skin Problems

Causes of Obesity and Overweight

See more featured articles »

Obesity and Respiratory Disorders

Obesity and Periodontitis

Obesity and Diabetes

Obesity and Sexual Health

Obesity and Genetics

Obesity and Autism

Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome

What is Obesity Paradox?

Dieting for Obese Children

Obesity Epidemiology

Obesity and Cancer

Obesity Management

Abdominal Obesity and the Metabolic Syndrome

Fat Mass and Obesity-Associated Gene (FTO)

Obesity and Fast Food

Obesity and Exercise

Obesity and Blood Pressure

Obesity and Stress

What does Sleeve Gastrectomy Involve?

Why is Visceral Fat Dangerous?

Obesity, What Can be Done?

Obesity in Adults

Obesity and Arthritis

Obesity and Infertility

Latest Obesity News and Research

Cutting sugary drinks helps reduce childhood obesity, study finds

While the adult obesity rate appears to be slowing in the United States, childhood obesity remains historically high, affecting nearly 1 in 5 school-aged children.

9 Oct 2026

Masked high blood pressure linked to higher risk of falls in older adults

Masked high blood pressure in adults older than age 78 is associated with a 70% higher risk of falls compared to high blood pressure readings in the office and at home among peers, according to preliminary research presented at the American Heart Association's Hypertension Scientific Sessions 2026.

9 Oct 2026

Late-night snacking may affect liver health

New research led by Oregon Health & Science University suggests you should think twice about indulging in a late-night snack if you'd like to preserve liver health.

9 Oct 2026

Body fat distribution may influence hunger hormones more than daily diet

Body fat distribution may reveal more about hunger hormones than recent diet.

9 Oct 2026

Longer sleep duration linked to diabetic kidney disease risk

People with type 2 diabetes who sleep longer may have an increased risk of developing or worsening existing diabetic kidney disease, according to a study published in the Journal of the Endocrine Society.

8 Oct 2026

Expert consensus statement outlines shared medical appointments to improve chronic disease care

The American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM) has published an expert consensus statement identifying best practices for delivering lifestyle interventions through shared medical appointments (SMAs), a care model that combines individualized medical care with group support.

8 Oct 2026

Excess adiposity may alter the immune environment of airways to promote lung cancer

In a recent study of more than a thousand individuals, greater adiposity, or excessive body fat or fatty tissue, specifically in the abdomen, was associated with lung cancer.

8 Oct 2026

Potassium-rich DASH diet does not cause hyperkalemia in individuals taking blood pressure drugs

Increased consumption of potassium-rich foods that are part of the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet did not raise blood potassium to dangerous levels in people taking medications to lower their blood pressure, according to preliminary research presented at the American Heart Association's Hypertension Scientific Sessions 2026.

8 Oct 2026

A study spanning 118 countries reveals a divide in pain and aging

Global pain trajectories indicate that while some pain types peak early, musculoskeletal pain increases with age, challenging aging assumptions.

8 Oct 2026

Nutritionally similar meals might not affect your body the same way

Ultra-processed foods trigger distinct metabolic and brain responses, influencing insulin release and nutrient processing despite similar nutritional content.

8 Oct 2026

Ancient gut microbes migrated with humans across the globe

As waves of humans left Africa tens of thousands of years ago, eventually populating the entire planet, they were joined on their world-conquering ride by the trillions of microorganisms that compose the gut microbiome.

7 Oct 2026

Structured support may slow weight regain after stopping GLP-1 drugs

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists are effective treatments for obesity, but discontinuation is common due to cost, insurance coverage limitations, side effects, patient preference, and other factors-commonly leading to rapid weight regain.

7 Oct 2026

High-fiber diet beats metformin for blood sugar and weight in trial

High-fiber diet improves blood sugar and weight more than metformin in a small diabetes trial.

7 Oct 2026

New global definition changes how childhood obesity is identified

A new global definition of clinical obesity classifies far fewer children as obese than the widely used body mass index (BMI), according to a large international study. And the findings could lead to changes to how childhood obesity is identified and managed.

6 Oct 2026

SGLT2 inhibitors reduce inflammatory cells linked to heart disease

For the first time in a human trial, a class of drugs known as sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors, already known for their weight loss and glucose lowering benefits, has been shown to also reduce inflammatory cells in the blood known to cause cardiovascular disease.

6 Oct 2026

Overweight dementia patients likely to live longer than normal weight peers

People who are overweight or obese when they are diagnosed with dementia are likely to live longer than those in a normal weight range, according to a new study by Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and NYU School of Global Public Health.

6 Oct 2026