Obesity: epidemiology, pathophysiology, and prevention

The spread of obesity has been declared a worldwide epidemic by the World Health Organization (WHO). In fact, a new term, globesity, has been coined to describe the recent upsurge of overweight and obesity throughout the world's population. How severe is the problem? According to WHO, worldwide obesity has more than double since 1980. In 2008, 1.5 billion adults, 20 and older, were overweight. Of these over 200 million men and 300 million women were obese. 65% of the world's population live in countries where overweight and obesity kills more people than underweight. Furthermore, nearly 43 million children under the age of five were underweight in 2010 [Ed.].

Notes bibliogr.

[Contents] Introduction Epidemiology of Obesity -- Epidemiology of Type 2 Diabetes and Obesity -- Pathophysiology of Obesity Global View on the Development of Noncommunicable Diseases -- Evidence for Refined Food Addiction -- Disruption of Development by Environmental Estrogens -- Smoking, Inflammation, and Obesity -- Role of Neurotransmitters in Obesity Regulation -- Neurobiology of Obesity -- Induced Inflammation -- Overview of Ghrelin, Appetite, and Energy Balance -- Molecular Genetics of Obesity Syndrome -- Sleep and Obesity -- Obesity and Degenerative Diseases Oxidative Stress Status in Humans with Metabolic Syndrome -- Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes -- Angiogenesis-Targeted Redox-Based Therapeutics -- Obese and Overweight: A New Sensitive Population for Drug and Chemical Toxicities? -- Genomic Imprinting Disorders in Obesity -- Novel Concept in Obesity Drug Development Adipose Drug Targets for Obesity Treatment -- History and Regulation of Prescription and Over-the-Counter Weight Loss Drugs -- Safety of Obesity Drugs Safety of Obesity Drugs -- Historical Perspective, Efficacy of Current Drugs, and Future Directions in the Management of Obesity -- Natural, Nutritional, and Physi…