Established and Emerging Biomarkers to Characterize Persons at Risk for Obesity-Paving the Way for Targeted Clinical...

Area of Science:

• Obesity research
• Biomarker discovery
• Preventive medicine

Background:

• Obesity affects 14% globally and is linked to severe comorbidities like type 2 diabetes and cancer.
• Current prediction methods using single biomarkers are insufficient due to obesity's multifactorial nature.
• Risk factors include genetics, gut microbiota, nutrition, physical activity, sleep, and psychological well-being.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review current (bio)markers for obesity risk prediction.
• To highlight novel and emerging biomarkers.
• To advocate for an integrative, multimodal approach to enhance obesity risk assessment.

Main Methods:

• Literature review and position paper synthesizing state-of-the-art research.
• Analysis of existing and emerging biomarkers for obesity prediction.
• Emphasis on multimodal marker combinations.

Main Results:

• Single biomarkers have limited predictive power for obesity.
• Multimodal marker assessment shows promise for improved obesity risk prediction.
• Some markers are predictive, while others are reactive or both.

Conclusions:

• An integrative, multimodal assessment combining diverse biomarkers is crucial for accurate obesity risk prediction.
• Future strategies should focus on combining markers from host factors, lifestyle, and psychological domains.
• Improved prediction enables timely implementation of preventive strategies against obesity.