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 in Adults

Obesity Epidemiology

Obesity and Arthritis

Obesity, What Can be Done?

Obesity and Hormones

Obesity and Diabetes

What is Body Mass Index (BMI)?

Obesity and Autism

Obesity in Children

Obesity Management

Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome

See more featured articles »

Obesity and Fast Food

Abdominal Obesity and the Metabolic Syndrome

Dieting for Obese Children

Obesity and Genetics

Obesity and Blood Pressure

Causes of Obesity and Overweight

Why is Visceral Fat Dangerous?

Obesity and Cancer

What is Obesity Paradox?

Obesity in Pregnancy

Obesity and Heart Disease

Fat Mass and Obesity-Associated Gene (FTO)

Obesity and Sexual Health

Obesity and Depression

Obesity and Infertility

Obesity and Anesthesia

Obesity and Exercise

Obesity and Respiratory Disorders

What does Sleeve Gastrectomy Involve?

Obesity and Skin Problems

Obesity and Fractures

Obesity and Sleep

Obesity and Stress

Obesity and Periodontitis

Latest Obesity News and Research

Women and men face different heart attack risks with diabetes

Cholesterol abnormalities and high blood pressure contribute to diabetes-related heart attack risk, with significant implications for cardiovascular health.

23 Oct 2026

Electronic implant lowers blood glucose and reduces weight in mice

Type 2 diabetes is becoming increasingly common worldwide. Unlike type 1 diabetes, it is often linked to obesity, a sedentary lifestyle and excess energy intake over many years.

23 Oct 2026

Standardized protocol enables safer kidney biopsies in high-risk patients

Results from a prospective study reveal that with standardized precautions, even high-risk patients may safely undergo a kidney biopsy, a cornerstone of kidney diagnostics that is often perceived as dangerous in certain vulnerable patient populations.

22 Oct 2026

Nearly three in four popular comfort foods have something in common, researchers find

A US study examining 300 distinct comfort foods identified chips, ice cream, pizza, chocolate, and cookies as the most frequently nominated choices among adults. Researchers found that nearly three-quarters of the foods met hyperpalatability criteria, while approximately 43% were entirely ultra-processed under a strict classification, with relatively small nutritional differences across demographic groups.

22 Oct 2026

A study of 802 teens raises questions about school breakfast and blood sugar

A study of 802 U.S. adolescents found that school breakfast participation at least once weekly was associated with a 30% higher prevalence of prediabetes-range glucose markers, while school lunch participation showed no significant association. Higher intakes of vitamins E and B6 and fruit consumption among adolescents with obesity were associated with lower prediabetes prevalence, but none of the reported associations remained statistically significant after correction for multiple comparisons.

22 Oct 2026

Gut bacteria use food signals to manage body's biological clock

Biological clocks are often associated with light. Historically, most people start their days when the sun is up, and end their days when the sun sets.

22 Oct 2026

Emotion management helps teens maintain weight loss after treatment

Researchers from University of California San Diego have found that adding emotion management skills to family-based behavioral weight management may help adolescents maintain weight loss after treatment ends.

22 Oct 2026

Intermittent fasting combined with exercise promotes weight loss in obese adults

A trial led by the Joint University Institute for Sport and Health shows benefits regarding weight, body fat, and cardiorespiratory fitness in people with obesity.

22 Oct 2026

Obesity impairs key immune cells but bariatric surgery reverses damage

New Maynooth University (MU) research led by the Department of Biology's Dr Ciara Flynn, working within the research group of Prof Andrew Hogan at the Kathleen Lonsdale Institute for Human Health Research has found that obesity can impair key immune cells that help protect the body against infection and cancer.

22 Oct 2026

Semaglutide and teduglutide reduce immune-driven gut injury in mice

Researchers found that gut-derived GLP-1 and GLP-2 signaling helped protect mice against T cell-induced intestinal injury, with GLP-1R primarily regulating inflammation and GLP-2R supporting intestinal repair. Semaglutide and teduglutide, administered separately or together, reduced acute intestinal damage in mice lacking intestinal proglucagon, suggesting potential avenues for investigating treatments for immune-mediated gut injury.

21 Oct 2026

A nine-year study reveals a pattern linking loneliness to heart risk

The study reveals that patterns of loneliness and social isolation significantly impact heart health, suggesting new avenues for cardiovascular risk assessment.

21 Oct 2026

Could a hormone from our bones reveal early signs of insulin resistance?

Research reveals a link between osteocalcin and insulin resistance in obese children, suggesting early metabolic changes before glucose tolerance impairment.

21 Oct 2026

Why the same healthy diet may not work the same way for everyone

A review published in Nutrients proposes a seven-pillar precision nutrition framework that combines biological, behavioral, and environmental information to tailor dietary interventions throughout life. The authors identify potential benefits for cardiovascular, respiratory, blood, and sleep health, while emphasizing the need for further clinical trials to establish effective, accessible, and personalized nutritional strategies.

20 Oct 2026

Experts weigh risks of using gene therapies for common diseases

Gene therapy is no longer the future of medicine - it's reality. Treatments that replace, silence or edit genes are already changing clinical care.

20 Oct 2026

New study identifies protein factor linked to chronic liver disease

The mechanisms that cause the world's most common chronic liver disease — Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) — to develop and progress are not still fully understood.

20 Oct 2026

Researchers investigate molecular mechanisms linking high-calorie diets to cognitive decline

The molecular mechanisms linking a high calorie diet to cognitive impairment remain unclear. Researchers at Institute of Science Tokyo, Japan, investigated this association in mice, finding that the diet reduced nuclear protein PQBP1 expression, disrupting the alternative splicing of genes involved in synaptic function.

20 Oct 2026

GLP-1 drugs may protect kidney health in people with bipolar disorder

Mayo Clinic researchers found that GLP-1 receptor agonists, medications widely used for diabetes and weight management, were associated with a lower risk of dialysis or kidney transplantation in adults with bipolar disorder and chronic kidney disease.

20 Oct 2026

Researchers use mitochondrial uncouplers to target breast cancer metastasis

Mitochondrial serine catabolic pathway (MSCP), also called serine, glycine, and one-carbon metabolism, is essential for cancer cells to produce amino acids, one-carbon units, and reducing equivalents.

19 Oct 2026

Miro1 protein linked to insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes

A protein called Miro1 found at elevated levels in the skeletal muscle of people with Type 2 diabetes may contribute to insulin resistance, potentially making it a target for future treatments that help the body regulate blood sugar, according to a study published today in Nature Communications.

19 Oct 2026