obesity

Table of Contents

References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics

Images & Videos

How was the leptin protein in mice discovered and how has it benefited diabetes and obesity treatment in humans?

How has the study of rare conditions like lipodystrophy aided understanding of the genomic factors contributing to diabetes and obesity?

For Students

obesity summary

Read Next

Measuring body fat with calipers. (BMI, body mass index, weight)

How Is BMI Calculated?

Marathon running in the light of evening

Olympics: The Genetics of Success

Hand washing. Healthcare worker washing hands in hospital sink under running water. contagious diseases wash hands, handwashing hygiene, virus, human health

17 Questions About Health and Wellness Answered

Discover

Facsimile of one of William Henry Ireland's forgeries, a primitive self-portrait of William Shakespeare(tinted engraving). Published for Samuel Ireland, Norfolk Street, Strand, December 1, 1795. (W.H. Ireland, forgery)

The Time a Law Clerk Successfully Forged a New Shakespeare Play to Impress His Dad

Saint Lucia Day. Young girl wears Lucia crown (tinsel halo) with candles. Holds Saint Lucia Day currant laced saffron buns (lussekatter or Lucia's cats). Observed December 13 honor virgin martyr Santa Lucia (St. Lucy). Luciadagen, Christmas, Sweden

7 Winter Solstice Celebrations From Around the World

Ice Sledge Hockey, Hockey Canada Cup, USA (left) vs Canada, 2009. UBC Thunderbird Arena, Vancouver, BC, competition site for Olympic ice hockey and Paralympic ice sledge hockey. Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, Vancouver Olympics

10 Best Hockey Players of All Time

Four year old boy with grandfather and father lighting Hanukkah menorah. Photo taken on: December 21st, 2009

Which Is Correct: Hanukkah or Chanukah?

Watergate scandal. Richard M. Nixon. President Nixon gives a press conference and talks to the press, March 12, 1971.

9 American Political Scandals

The Jeff Koons tulips sculputure outside the Guggenheim Museums in Bilbao, Spain, Basque Country.

What’s the Difference Between Modern and Contemporary Art?

Stylish light blue jeans on wooden background, closeup of inset pocket

Why Do Jeans Have That Tiny Pocket?

obesity

medical disorder

Also known as: corpulence, fatness

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: Dec 20, 2024 • Article History

Also called:: corpulence or fatness

Related Topics:: nutritional disease; exercise; pickwickian syndrome; central obesity; childhood obesity

See all related content

News •

Weight loss drugs could help end obesity - but risks remain, WHO says • Dec. 19, 2024, 4:35 AM ET (Reuters)

Bowel-cancer rates rising among younger people • Dec. 12, 2024, 9:42 PM ET (BBC)

Research shows death rates linked to obesity-related heart disease are up, especially among men • Nov. 28, 2024, 12:19 AM ET (Medical Xpress)

Liver-brain communication affects eating patterns and obesity • Nov. 26, 2024, 4:53 AM ET (National Institutes of Health (NIH) (.gov))

obesity, excessive accumulation of body fat, usually caused by the consumption of more calories than the body can use. The excess calories are then stored as fat, or adipose tissue. Overweight, if moderate, is not necessarily obesity, particularly in muscular or large-boned individuals. Obesity was traditionally defined as an increase in body weight that was greater than 20 percent of an individual’s ideal body weight—the weight associated with the lowest risk of death, as determined by certain factors, such as age, height, and gender. Based on these factors, overweight could then be defined as a 15–20 percent increase over ideal ...(100 of 2130 words)

Access the full article

Help support true facts by becoming a member.