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

Smoothies with seeds may improve glycemic control, study shows

Blending whole fruits into smoothies may reduce glycemic spikes compared to eating fruit whole or drinking juice, especially when seeds are included. Researchers urge a re-evaluation of public health guidelines that currently limit smoothie intake.

3 Apr 2025

Sweetener saccharin revives old antibiotics by breaking bacterial defences

Saccharin destabilizes bacterial membranes and interferes with DNA replication, causing lysis and impairing virulence traits. The sweetener also re-sensitizes multidrug-resistant pathogens to antibiotics and disrupts stubborn biofilms.

3 Apr 2025

Short on time? Weekend workouts still boost longevity, researchers say

A large UK Biobank study found that concentrating weekly physical activity into one or two days provides similar mortality benefits as spreading it across the week. Regular and “weekend warrior” exercise patterns both significantly reduced all-cause, cancer, and cardiovascular mortality.

3 Apr 2025

Healthy lifestyle linked to lower mortality in cancer survivors

In 2022, the American Cancer Society (ACS) updated its nutrition and activity guidelines for cancer survivors, recommending they avoid obesity, stay physically active, eat a healthy diet, and limit alcohol intake.

3 Apr 2025

American College of Physicians announces $260,000 in grants to advance equitable obesity care

Today, the American College of Physicians (ACP) announced that it has awarded a total of $260,000 in grants to support regional programs that address equity challenges in obesity care.

3 Apr 2025

New data on use of EndoZip™ to treat obese patients be presented at leading global medical conferences

Nitinotes, developer of EndoZip™, a fully automated endoscopic suturing system aimed at treating obesity, today announced that clinical research on the EndoZip™ system will be presented at upcoming leading international medical conferences.

3 Apr 2025

New research underscores the importance of broader health benefits in obesity care

New research to be presented at this year's European Congress on Obesity (ECO 2025, Malaga, Spain, 11-14 May) suggests that weight loss program targeting a particular % weight loss are often failing, and that other factors should be considered including improvement of obesity-related complications, enhancing quality of life and overall physical and social functioning.

3 Apr 2025

Exploring the relationship between testosterone and men's health

The review article titled"Testosterone and men's health: An in-depth exploration of their relationship", was published on February 18, 2025 in UroPrecision.

2 Apr 2025

Vegetarian diets may hinder healthy aging—unless diet quality is high

Older Chinese adults who followed vegetarian diets were less likely to reach age 80 in good health. However, this disadvantage disappeared for those consuming high-quality plant-based diets.

2 Apr 2025

High-fat diet linked to increased breast cancer metastasis risk

Obesity is associated with an increased risk of developing breast cancer, and a greater probability for the cancer to spread to other organs – metastasize –. But the causes of this association are still not well understood.

2 Apr 2025

Football proven to prevent and treat lifestyle diseases

Danish researchers, in collaboration with the Danish Football Association, have released a White Paper that describes football as an effective recipe in the prevention and treatment of lifestyle-related diseases.

2 Apr 2025

New study explores link between gut microbiome and autism spectrum disorder

Researchers evaluate the relationship between the gut microbiome and autism spectrum disorder.

2 Apr 2025

Rural communities face higher rates of heart disease and risk factors

A research team funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) uncovered higher rates of heart disease and worse heart health affecting adults living in rural communities compared to urban areas and the factors that likely drive these differences.

1 Apr 2025

Rare sugars curb appetite and mimic diabetes drugs in mice

Rare sugars like D-allulose, D-tagatose, and D-sorbose significantly boosted GLP-1 secretion and suppressed food intake in mice. D-allose also reduced food intake through a unique, GLP-1-independent pathway.

1 Apr 2025

Pregnancy may provide some protection against Long COVID

Pregnancy may offer some protection from developing Long COVID, found a new study led by Weill Cornell Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, University of Utah Health and Louisiana Public Health Institute.

1 Apr 2025

Gastric bypass proven most effective for severe obesity in landmark study

Gastric bypass is the most clinically and cost effective form of interventional surgery for people living with severe obesity, reveals landmark research funded and supported by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

1 Apr 2025

Study links linoleic acid to triple-negative breast cancer growth

Linoleic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid found in seed oils such as soybean and safflower oil, and animal products including pork and eggs, specifically enhances the growth of the hard-to-treat "triple negative" breast cancer subtype, according to a preclinical study led by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators.

1 Apr 2025

Do lifetime body weight patterns affect kidney cancer risk?

Excess weight in mid-life is a known risk factor for kidney cancer, but new research indicates that weight patterns throughout life may also affect an individual’s likelihood of developing this malignancy.

1 Apr 2025

Novo Nordisk A/S: Rybelsus® (oral semaglutide 14 mg) demonstrates superior reduction in cardiovascular events in the SOUL trial at ACC 2025

Novo Nordisk today presented the full results from the SOUL cardiovascular outcomes trial, demonstrating that Rybelsus® (oral semaglutide) significantly reduced the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events in adults with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD) and/or chronic kidney disease (CKD).

1 Apr 2025

Study: Mental health providers often miss bulimia diagnosis

When presented with a vignette describing the behaviors and characteristics of a patient with disordered eating, only a quarter of mental health providers who participated in a new study were able to correctly diagnose bulimia nervosa.

1 Apr 2025