Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 9, 2025
05:10
Multidisciplinary Approach to Obesity Management: A Case Report
Published on: May 30, 2025
259
Obesity Paradox: Fact or Fiction?
Stamatia Simati1, Alexander Kokkinos1, Maria Dalamaga2
1First Department of Propaedeutic Internal Medicine, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Laiko Hospital, Athens, 115 27, Greece.
Current Obesity Reports
|February 22, 2023
Summary
The obesity paradox describes a surprising protective effect of higher body mass index (BMI) in some chronic diseases. This association may be influenced by BMI limitations and other patient factors.
Area of Science:
- Medical Science
- Clinical Research
- Public Health
Background:
- Obesity is linked to numerous comorbidities, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, heart failure, and cancers.
- The detrimental impact of obesity on mortality and morbidity is well-documented.
- The obesity paradox, a controversial concept, suggests a protective association between BMI and outcomes in certain chronic diseases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the controversial aspects of the obesity paradox in conditions like cardiovascular disease, cancer, and COPD.
- To examine factors that may confound the relationship between obesity and mortality.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies investigating the obesity paradox.
- Analysis of confounding factors influencing the BMI-outcome relationship.
Main Results:
- The obesity paradox is observed when higher BMI shows a protective association with clinical outcomes in specific chronic diseases.
- Potential confounding factors include BMI limitations, illness-induced weight loss, obesity phenotypes (sarcopenic, athletic), cardiorespiratory fitness, medications, obesity duration, and smoking status.
- Incomplete data from single BMI measurements can interfere with study outcomes.
Conclusions:
- The obesity paradox is a complex phenomenon influenced by multiple factors beyond simple BMI.
- Carefully designed studies are crucial to overcome confounding variables and accurately understand the obesity paradox.
- Further research is needed to clarify the role of various factors in the obesity paradox across different chronic diseases.
Related Concept Videos
01:24Obesity
564
The Body Mass Index (BMI) is a numerical value derived from a person's weight and height, used to categorize individuals into weight ranges. It is calculated using the formula: weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared. Obesity is a health condition characterized by excessive accumulation of adipose tissue that poses health risks, often diagnosed with a BMI ≥ 30. This excess fat storage occurs when surplus dietary calories are converted into triglycerides and stored in...
564
01:53Cause and Effect
11.0K
While variables are sometimes correlated because one does cause the other, it could also be that some other factor, a confounding variable, is actually causing the systematic movement in our variables of interest. For instance, as sales in ice cream increase, so does the overall rate of crime. Is it possible that indulging in your favorite flavor of ice cream could send you on a crime spree? Or, after committing crime do you think you might decide to treat yourself to a cone?
11.0K
01:02Hypodermis
4.8K
The hypodermis (the subcutaneous layer or superficial fascia) is present directly below the dermis. It connects the skin to the underlying fascia (fibrous tissue) of the bones and muscles. It is not strictly a part of the skin, although the border between the hypodermis and dermis can be difficult to distinguish. The hypodermis consists of well-vascularized, loose, areolar connective tissue and adipose tissue, which functions as a mode of fat storage and provides insulation and cushioning for...
4.8K
01:24Overview of Lipid Metabolism
2.0K
Lipid metabolism is a crucial process in the human body that involves the synthesis and degradation of lipids. This process is essential for energy production, cell membrane formation, and hormone production, among other functions.
Lipolysis: The Breakdown of Lipids:
Lipolysis is the process of breaking down lipids, particularly triglycerides, into glycerol and fatty acids. This process typically occurs in the adipose tissue and is triggered by various hormones, including glucagon and...
Lipolysis: The Breakdown of Lipids:
Lipolysis is the process of breaking down lipids, particularly triglycerides, into glycerol and fatty acids. This process typically occurs in the adipose tissue and is triggered by various hormones, including glucagon and...
2.0K
01:29Bias in Epidemiological Studies
472
Biases can arise at various stages of research, from study design and data collection to analysis and interpretation. Recognizing and addressing these biases is essential to ensure the validity and reliability of epidemiological findings.Broadly speaking, biases in epidemiology fall into three main categories: selection bias, information bias, and confounding. A more detailed description of possible biases is:
472
01:52Regression Toward the Mean
6.3K
Regression toward the mean (“RTM”) is a phenomenon in which extremely high or low values—for example, and individual’s blood pressure at a particular moment—appear closer to a group’s average upon remeasuring. Although this statistical peculiarity is the result of random error and chance, it has been problematic across various medical, scientific, financial and psychological applications. In particular, RTM, if not taken into account, can interfere when...
6.3K