Origins and consequences of obesity - CIBA Foundation Symposium

It has been estimated that 25?50% of people in most affluent societies are either obese or overweight. These disorders are the result of an imbalance between caloric intake and energy expenditure over a prolonged period and their sequelae (which include diabetes, hypertension and hyperlipidaemia) are among the commonest health problems in industrialized societies. The amount of adipose tissue in an individual is physiologically controlled, with a complex homeostatic system regulating caloric intake and energy output to maintain a constant body weight. There are many questions about the components of this system, including details of their control, the communication of information on nutritional state to the CNS and the extent to which obesity is genetically determined. In so far as treatment is concerned, although much remains to be learned concerning the aetiology of obesity and its role as a predisposing factor to major diseases of the developing and the developed world, enough is known for sufferers to be offered rational advice and sympathetic help. This book brings together an international and interdisciplinary group of experts working on all aspects of the origins, consequences and treatment of obesity. Specific topics include epidemiological studies, with a particular focus on the Caribbean and peoples of the Caribbean diaspora, biological and social aspects of the problem, the role of obesity as a predisposing factor to major diseases of the developing and developed world and its treatment.