The Biological Processes Of Obesity

Genetic research of obesity was partly successful in establishing obesity in model organisms – rodents where obesity occurs spontaneously together with other pathological aspects (insulin resistance, …). The main cause of monogenic obesity in these model organisms are common mutations always present in only one gene. Results of research on model organisms allowed us to understand biological mechanisms of calorie intake and regulation and maintenance of body weight. The most important insight into obesity was achieved in 1994 after discovery of ob gene encoding for leptin. In two years period, using screening method, candidate homologous genes, selected on genetic study basis on mice, another five genes were identified. Mutations on these genes were found to be the cause of autosomal recessive or dominant monogenic obesity. Products of these genes are leptin and its receptor, proopiomelanocortin (POMC) melanocortin receptor 4 (MC4R) and

The pathophysiology of obesity is when there is a buildup of excess body fat. This excess body fat is determined by calculating a person body mass index (BMI). The BMI is calculated by an individual’s weight in kilograms divided by the square of a person’s height in metersthis allows us to come up with appropriate range of weight to an individual’s height. The body mass index is used to find out if an individual is overweight or obese. Individuals who’s BMI that have a range of 25 to 29.99 are thought to be pre- obese and overweight When an individual body mass index has surpassed 30kg this person is considered obese. As an individual’sBMI increases they become part of a different class of obesity there’s class I which is 30-34.9, class II

Environment factors, including sedentary lifestyles, high energy intake and social aspects enhance the risk for obesity. A recently published evaluation of the Framingham Study provides an interesting alternative explanation for the worldwide increase in the prevalence of obesity, by demonstrating that the chance of a person to become obese is significantly higher when a friend, sibling or spouse are obese (Christakis and Fowler, 2007). Thus the social net work could be a relevant factor in the obesity epidemic.

Although the mechanism of obesity development is not fully understood, it is confirmed that obesity occurs when energy intake exceeds energy expenditure. There are multiple etiologies for this imbalance, hence, and the rising prevalence of obesity cannot be addressed by a single etiology (Dehghan et al., 2005, p.

Diabetes is a disease that occurs when your blood glucose, also called blood sugar, is too high. Currently the number of obese children is increasing in our country and it is a problem that should be concerned. Doctors often use a formula based on height and weight, called body mass index (BMI), to determine obesity. Children with a BMI over 21 is considered obese and over 18 is overweight (Arnett, J.J.2016). Adults with a BMI of 30 or more are considered obese. Severe obesity, also known as severe obesity or morbid obesity, occurs when a BMI of 40 or more is present. With morbid obesity, there may be serious health problems. If children do not have enough activities, they will

Obesity has been around for several thousands of years but hasn’t always been a serious epidemic. A higher amount of fat or stored energy used to mean a greater chance at surviving a famine, but those times are long gone in the industrialized world. As time has progressed, we’ve see an exponential growth in obesity rates despite our best efforts to slow it down. In order to contain and eventually decrease obesity rates, we would first need to know what fuels this powerful monster of the western culture. Has our problem been generated from an increase in inactivity, sugar consumption, fat consumption, other factors or a combination of them? A collection of studies have been observed to discover what the real main factor to obesity in

Many people are unaware that more than third or 35.7 percent of adults are considered obese in America. In recent years obesity is the health topic of choice these days because obesity in America is a growing epidemic. One out of twenty people in America have extreme obesity. According to a 2009-2010 survey conducted by the National Health and Nutrition examination this data states that about one third of children and adolescents ages six to nine are considered to be overweight or obese. Adolescent obesity has more than tripled in young adults and doubled in children since the year 1980. Unless there is a cultural and behavioral change among Americans obesity will continue to spread and health problems will keep sky rocketing, but obesity can be prevented.

Epidemic has become the term of choice when discussing obesity in North America, and the struggle against the disease continues since effective long-term treatment has yet to appear. Obese individuals also often face prejudice, due to a common misperception that their condition solely results from lifestyle choices. However, studies show that environment accounts only for 50-65% of occurrence (Campfield et al. 1997, Bouchard and Perusse 1993 as cited by Campfield et al. 1996), leaving much to genetic influence. Recently much attention has been directed at the OB protein, or leptin, pathway due to its apparent influence on obesity-related components. Under the current context, leptin’s most important biological role is as an indicator of appetite satiety (Campfield et al. 1996). Generally, leptin levels have been found to increase with food intake and decrease with hunger (Coll et al. 2007). In normal function, leptin circulates in the bloodstream, and appropriately, OB-R receptors have been found in the brain and peripheral tissues (Campfield et al. 1996).

Obesity basically means having too much body fat. Not being overweight for your height, having too much muscle, or water in your body. What exactly is obesity? “Obesity is a condition that is associated with having an excess of body fat, defined by genetic and environmental factors that are difficult to control when dieting. Obesity is classified as having a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or greater. BMI is a tool used to measure obesity. Obesity increases your risk of developing related conditions such as diabetes, hypertension and sleep apnea, to name a few. Many individuals are affected by obesity and are not aware of it” (O.A.C, 2016). Causes of obesity vary from person to person, but most are from the same reasons. Taking in more calories than your body can burn leads to obesity because your body stores the unused calories as fat. Typical causes are eating too much food than your body can use, drinking too much alcohol, and not getting enough exercise. Many obese people who lose large amounts of weight and gain it back think it is their fault. They blame themselves for not having the willpower to keep the weight off. Many people regain more weight than they lost. Today, we know that biology is a big reason why some people cannot keep the weight off. Some people who live in the same place and eat the same foods become obese, while others do not. Our bodies have a complex system to help keep our

A person is more likely to develop obesity if one or both parents are obese. Genetics also affect hormones involved in fat regulation. For example, one genetic cause of obesity is leptin deficiency. Leptin is a hormone produced in fat cells and also in the placenta. Leptin controls weight by signaling the brain to eat less when body fat stores are too high. If, for some reason, the body cannot produce enough leptin or leptin cannot signal the brain to eat less, this control is lost, and obesity occurs. The role of leptin replacement as a treatment for obesity is currently being

Obesity is known to produce a number of stress and inflammation responses in the body that lead to the activation of the inflammatory signalling molecules, Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK) and inhibitory kB kinase (IKK). Activation of these pathways plays a key part in the development of insulin resistance followed by progression to diabetes as they greatly affect inflammatory responses, insulin signalling, and lipid and glucose homeostatis (Nakamura et al. 2014). For example, activating the JNK pathway leads to serine phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate (IRS) proteins which results in inhibited insulin signalling and thus insulin resistance. Double-stranded RNA-dependent protein kinase (PKR) has recently been shown to control the JNK and other major inflammatory pathways, to directly inhibit insulin signalling, to be activated by fatty acids as well as endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, and to be necessary for the activity of inflammasomes (Nakamura et al. 2010; Komiya et al. 2010; Lu et al. 2012). Moreover, PKR has been found to be highly activated in obese people as well as mice with genetically and diet-induced obesity, especially in adipose and hepatic tissues (Boden et al. 2008; Nakamura et al. 2010; Carvalho-Filho et al. 2012). Finally, recent studies have found that PKR knockout obese mice were protected against both IR and obesity-triggered inflammation and that administration of PKR inhibitors reduced JNK activation, reduced inflammation in adipose

Obesity refers to the condition of having an extra amount of body fat. Obesity is caused by eating too much and moving too little. When an individual’s amount of body fat becomes too high, they are at a greater risk of being affected with life changing diseases such as heart failure, hypertension, type II diabetes, cancer, gallbladder disease, osteoarthritis, and others. This shows that people should become more physically active and attempt to make healthier choices because their life depends on the decisions, they make.

The everyday routines of life can and will be more difficult if encumbered with obesity.

Everybody knows the child that can eat any type of food all day and never seem to gain weight. This occurrence has led researchers to investigate the role that genetics plays in childhood obesity. Not all children who are inactive or who eat poorly are obese, much in the same way that some obese children eat fairly healthy, and exercise moderately. Heredity has recently been shown to influence body fat percentage, regional fat storage, and the body?s response to overeating (Rush, 1). Children who have obese parents are 80% more likely to be obese than their lean parented counterparts (Buffington, 16). This familial correlation is contributed to genetics as well as the parents eating habits. Children with obese parents typically aren?t taught the correct way to choose when and what food to eat, leading to poor eating habits and eventually obesity. Many genetic defects can have a significant effect on obesity such as variable thyroid activity and pituitary defects. Abnormalities in any one of these regulators could be responsible for appetite abnormalities and weight gain. Furthermore, obesity leads to defects in appetite regulation, hormone production, and metabolic events (Oklahoma Cooperative, 4) that are responsible for further weight gain,

Obesity is a condition in which the over accumulation of adipose fat tissue causes the weight of a person to increase abnormally. Their weight exceeds by 20%, as a factor of their ideal body weight. According to recent analysis, statistics show that more than one third of the world’s population is targeted by obesity. Research shows that overweight and obesity kills more people than underweight. Obesity occurs greatly amongst adults who are 18 years or older. An estimated 600 million adults were obese out of the 1.9 billion that were overweight, around the world in 2014. One in three adults in Mexico, New Zealand and United States are obese, and one in four adults in Australia, Canada, Chile and Hungary are obese. In contrast, rates of obesity are much lower in Asian countries, where approximately 2-4% of adults have obesity. In countries such as Mexico and the United States, Latino and Africans have the highest rates of obesity amongst all the individuals. However, along with adults, statistics show that the rates for obesity are also high among children within and below the age of 5. As calculated in 2013, the number of children across the world that were either overweight or obese was 42 million. Since then, the rates have increased by 30% more in in low- and middle-income countries than in developed countries. Due to the fact that this condition continues at higher rates across the world, several organizations, such as the World Health Organization, are working with and