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

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

Tirzepatide improves kidney, cardiovascular function in patients with obesity and HFpEF

The drug tirzepatide improved kidney function and cardiovascular outcomes among patients with obesity and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) compared with placebo at one year, according to featured clinical research presented at the American College of Cardiology's Annual Scientific Session (ACC.25) and simultaneously published in JACC.

31 Mar 2025

What blueberries do and don’t do for your microbiome and heart

Regular blueberry consumption for 12 weeks enriched Coriobacteriales incertae sedis in the gut microbiota of older overweight adults. However, this microbial shift was not linked to significant improvements in cardiometabolic biomarkers.

31 Mar 2025

Five lifestyle changes by 50 can add a decade to your life, global study finds

Study estimates the global lifetime risk and benefits of modifying cardiovascular risk factors like hypertension, smoking, and obesity by age 50, showing significant improvements in both life expectancy and quality of life. It highlights the importance of early intervention and midlife changes in preventing cardiovascular disease and mortality.

31 Mar 2025

Hedonic eating fades with obesity—but neurotensin helps bring it back

Chronic high-fat diets blunt the brain’s pleasure response to rich foods by impairing NAcLat→VTA signaling in mice. Neurotensin dysfunction underlies this effect, but restoring its signaling revives hedonic feeding and reduces obesity symptoms.

30 Mar 2025

Why sucralose could make you hungrier instead of helping you lose weight

Sucralose increases hypothalamic activity linked to hunger more than sugar or water, especially in women and people with obesity.

30 Mar 2025

WARRIOR trial finds no impact of intensive therapy on heart events in women

An intensive three-drug regimen of heart medications did not significantly impact the rate of serious cardiovascular events at five years in women who experienced signs and symptoms of ischemia, or insufficient blood flow to the heart muscle, but had no blockages in their heart's arteries, according to research presented at the American College of Cardiology's Annual Scientific Session.

29 Mar 2025

Semaglutide improves maximal walking distance in people with symptomatic PAD and Type 2 diabetes

Semaglutide, a glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) agonist, significantly improved maximal walking distance in people with symptomatic peripheral artery disease (PAD) and Type 2 diabetes in the first-of-its kind trial to evaluate the use of a GLP-1 agonist to manage PAD.

29 Mar 2025

A briefing on the impact of obesity in older populations

GSA is a professional membership organization committed to promoting the best available interdisciplinary aging research to advance innovations in practice and policy. This is especially key to managing the chronic condition of obesity in health care.

28 Mar 2025

Discrimination exposure found to raise anxiety, depression risks among racial and ethnic groups

A new study found that more than half of US adults encounter some form of discrimination, and that this mistreatment may fuel higher chances of depression and/or anxiety among specific racial and ethnic groups due to cultural, social, and systemic factors.

28 Mar 2025

Expanded access to anti-obesity medications could boost life expectancy and save society billions

A new USC Schaeffer Center white paper finds expanded access to anti-obesity medications would lead to significant increases in life expectancy and disease-free years while generating a substantial societal return on investment, even after accounting for treatment costs.

27 Mar 2025

New medical database enhances obesity research and treatment

A new medical database automatically compiles the medical records of obese patients and those suffering from obesity-related diseases in a uniquely comprehensive and reliable manner.

27 Mar 2025