[Obesity and key predictors of its risk]

Obesity is a complex chronic disease with multifactorial etiology. The global obesity epidemic and the exponential rate of increase in its prevalence among the population represent a significant burden on human health being a serious public healthcare problem. The aim of the review was to analyze available literature on obesity and key risk predictors. Material and methods. A literature search was conducted for the last 10 years using the library platforms PubMed, Elsevier, eLIBRARY by keywords: obesity; genes; polymorphism; predisposition; genomic associations; risk factors; lifestyle; nutrition). Results. Studies have shown that lifestyle and heredity are considered as reliably strong predictors of the obesity risk. Suboptimal nutrition and eating disorders currently reported at both population and individual levels model the effects associated with the risk of metabolic disorders, including dyslipidemia, hyperinsulinemia, hyperglycemia, hypertension, hyperuricemia, etc. It should be noted that body fat percentage is directly related to human cardiometabolic state, which suggests a new type - obesity with normal body weight. Of concern is the fact that, due to normal body weight, this category of persons remains out of sight of healthcare and, accordingly, appropriate preventive measures will not be taken. With regard to genetic risk factors for obesity, in some patients, gene mutations may not manifest themselves throughout life, and when detected, they may not always be the cause of obesity, being the result of individual variability. Recent decades have been characterized by the popularity of «nudge theory,» but the need for additional research to determine optimal combinations and contexts to encourage the right choice has been noted. The ambiguity of the results obtained is due to the fact that in modern society an environment has been created that is set up quite aggressively to the principles of optimal nutrition. Conclusion. The data obtained are needed to develop new strategies for preventive measures to reduce the prevalence of obesity, promote population health and increase the period of active longevity.