Obesity: A Growing Multifaceted Problem

Overweight and obesity are defined as body mass index (BMI) of 25-29.9 kg/m² and ≥ 30 kg/m², respectively. It is an alarming public health problem worldwide. Brazilian data show that 52.5% of Brazilians are overweight, and 17.9%, obese. In the USA, 35% of the adults are obese.

One major problem of obesity is its common association with arterial hypertension, dyslipidemia, insulin resistance and diabetes in the metabolic syndrome context^,. The adipose tissue plays a relevant role in the secretion of inflammatory and humoral mediators, which can favor the increase in blood pressure and insulin resistance. This area has witnessed several advances, mainly related to epigenetic changes. Obese individuals, for example, show DNA hypermethylation in a specific region that encodes adiponectin, favoring lower secretion of that compound and exacerbating metabolic disease.

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