Questions and Answers

The adipocyte is increasingly found to be a complex and metabolically active cell. At present, the adipocyte is perceived as an active endocrine gland producing several peptides and metabolites that may be relevant to the control of body weight; these are being studied intensively. Many of the adipocytokines secreted by adipocytes are proinflammatory or play […] Read More

The adipocyte, which is the cellular basis for obesity, may be increased in size or number in obese persons. Hypertrophic obesity, characterized by enlarged fat cells, is typical of android abdominal obesity. Hypercellular obesity is more variable than hypertrophic obesity; it typically occurs in persons who develop obesity in childhood or adolescence, but it is […] Read More

A study by Cameron et al indicated that in the United States between 2013 and 2016, obesity was responsible for the development of new-onset diabetes in 41% of adults. The highest attributable rate of obesity-related diabetes was among non-Hispanic White women (53%); non-Hispanic Black men demonstrated the lowest rate, with the attributable fraction being 30%. […] Read More

Overweight and obese individuals are at increased risk for the following health conditions: Metabolic syndrome; Type 2 diabetes; Hypertension; Dyslipidemia; Coronary heart disease; Osteoarthritis; Stroke; Depression; Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD); Infertility (women) and erectile dysfunction (men); Risk of stillbirth; Gall bladder disease; Obstructive sleep apnea; Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD); Some cancers (endometrial, breast, and […] Read More

Sleep duration of fewer than 5 hours or more than 8 hours was associated with increased visceral and subcutaneous body fat. This association relates mostly to decreased leptin hormone and increased ghrelin hormone levels. Read More

The so-called Pickwickian syndrome is a combined syndrome of obesity-related hypoventilation and sleep apnea. It is named after Charles Dickens’s novel The Pickwick Papers, which contains an obese character who falls asleep constantly during the day. The hypoventilation in Pickwickian syndrome results from severe mechanical respiratory limitations to chest excursion, caused by severe obesity. Sleep […] Read More

Apart from the metabolic complications associated with obesity, a paradigm of increased intra-abdominal pressure has been recognized. This pressure effect is most apparent in the setting of marked obesity (BMI ≥ 50 kg/m2) and is espoused by bariatric surgeons. Findings from bariatric surgery and animal models suggest that this pressure elevation may play a role […] Read More

An elevated BMI during adolescence (starting within the range currently considered normal) is strongly associated with the risk of developing obesity-related disorders later in life, independent of adult BMI. Increases in BMI during early adulthood (age 25-40) are associated with a worse profile of biomarkers related to obesity than the profile of biomarkers of BMI […] Read More

The surgical literature often uses a different classification to recognize particularly severe obesity. The categories are as follows: Severe obesity – BMI greater than 40 kg/m2; Morbid obesity – BMI of 40-50 kg/m2; Super obese – BMI greater than 50 kg/m2. Read More

Dual-energy radiographic absorptiometry (DXA) scanning is used primarily by researchers to accurately measure body composition, particularly fat mass and fat-free mass. It has the additional advantage of measuring regional fat distribution. However, DXA scans cannot be used to distinguish between subcutaneous and visceral abdominal fat deposits. Read More