Overview of Obesity

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Chapter: Biochemistry : Obesity

Obesity is a disorder of body weight regulatory systems characterized by an accumulation of excess body fat.


Obesity

OVERVIEW

Obesity is a disorder of body weight regulatory systems characterized by an accumulation of excess body fat. In primitive societies, in which daily life required a high level of physical activity and food was only available intermittently, a genetic tendency favoring storage of excess calories as fat may have had a survival value. Today, however, the sedentary lifestyle and abundance and wide variety of palatable, inexpensive foods in industrialized societies has undoubtedly contributed to an obesity epidemic. As adiposity has increased, so has the risk of developing associated diseases, such as type 2 diabetes (T2D), cardiovascular disease, hypertension, cancer, and arthritis. Particularly alarming is the explosion of obesity in children and adolescents, which has shown a threefold increase in prevalence over the last two decades. [Note: Approximately 17% of those ages 2-19 years are obese.] In the United States, the lifetime risk of becoming overweight or obese is approximately 50% and 25%, respectively. Obesity has increased globally. In fact, by some estimates, there are more obese than undernourished individuals worldwide.

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