The Southern Medical Journal (SMJ) is the official, peer-reviewed journal of the Southern Medical Association. It has a multidisciplinary and inter-professional focus that covers a broad range of topics relevant to physicians and other healthcare specialists.
SMJ // Article
Expired CME Article
The Prevalence and Etiology of Nongenetic Obesity and Associated Disorders
Abstract
The prevalence and etiology of nongenetic causes of obesity are reviewed, along with obesity-associated comorbidities of the metabolic syndrome. The role of nongenetic causes of obesity from environmental affluences, central nervous system developmental effects in adult obesity, and psychosocial disorders affecting obesity through central nervous system dysfunction are discussed. Obesity is now the major underlying cause of the metabolic syndrome and its alarmingly increased prevalence worldwide makes it the most preventable cause of chronic disease burden.
Key Points
* The prevalence of obesity has become the largest worldwide chronic disease burden due to its comorbidities within the metabolic syndrome.
* Environmental effects of increased food intake and decreased energy utilization from sedentary lifestyles are now affecting over 1 billion people, while one third of these are obese.
* Fat adipokines including inflammatory cytokines are the major underlying molecular cause of obesity's comorbidities.
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