International Journal of Obesity

BackgroundCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), is more severe in individuals with obesity. Furthermore, a cytokine storm was observed in many critically ill patients with COVID-19. Since adipose tissue secretes cytokines, we investigated whether cytokines mediate the effect of obesity on COVID-19 severity. MethodsUsing two-sample Mendelian randomization analyses we assessed the causal effect of body mass index (BMI) on COVID-19 severity. We then evaluated the BMI effect on 41 inflammatory cytok...

IntroductionAdiposity, especially visceral adiposity with elevated body mass index (BMI), is associated with a hyperinflammatory syndrome and poor outcomes in patients with COVID-19. In other diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, and rheumatoid arthritis, systemic inflammation is driven directly by visceral adipose macrophages which release pro-inflammatory cytokines. Currently it is unknown whether visceral adipose tissue macrophage content may similarly explain the observation that COVID-...

Pharmacological stimulation of human brown adipose tissue (BAT) has been hindered by either ineffective activation or undesirable off-target secondary effects. Oral administration of the maximal allowable dose of mirabegron (200 mg), a {beta}3-adrenergic receptor ({beta}3-AR) agonist, has been effective in stimulating BAT thermogenesis and whole-body energy expenditure. However, this too has been accompanied by undesirable cardiovascular effects. Combining mirabegron with a cardio-selective {bet...

We assessed whether adding early life exposures to a model based on polygenic risk score (PRS) improves prediction of obesity risk. We used a birth cohort with data at birth and BMI and waist circumference (WC) measured at age 32. The PRS was composed of SNPs identified in GWAS for BMI. Linear and logistic models were used to explore associations with obesity-related phenotypes. Improvement in prediction was assessed using measures of model discrimination (AUC), and net reclassification improvem...

ObjectiveWe examined how BMI, BMI trajectories, and BMI fluctuation around these trajectories in adolescence were correlated with BMI trajectories and BMI fluctuation in early adulthood, as well as the genetic basis of these associations. MethodsBMI data from Finnish twins (N=1379, 48% males) were collected at ages 11.5, 14, 17.5, 24, and 37 years. BMI trajectories in adolescence (11.5-17.5 years) and early adulthood (17.5-37 years) were estimated using linear mixed-effect models. BMI fluctuati...

BackgroundObesity is associated with increased risk of morbidity, reduced quality of life, and pervasive weight stigma. For patients with severe obesity and multimorbidity who are ineligible for bariatric surgery, effective treatment options remain limited. Recently, glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist-based weight loss medications have shown promise in weight management, but their effects in highly complex patient populations are not well described. ObjectiveThis protocol outlines a prosp...

The Fasting for Brain and Heart Health Study was a prospective, single-center, observational study examining the effects of medically supervised, water-only fasting followed by an exclusively whole-plant-food refeeding diet on accepted measures of cardiovascular risk and metabolic health. The study enrolled 48 overweight/obese, non-diabetic participants of which 26 completed the full study protocol. The participants fasted according to an established protocol at an independent medical center tha...

IntroductionMechanistic research has shown that prior obesity induces durable transcriptomic and epigenetic reprogramming in adipose tissue that persists after weight loss and predisposes individuals to weight regain. This phenomenon, termed obesogenic memory (OM), is currently conceptualized primarily as a molecular process. We propose extending OM beyond adipose tissue biology to include interacting biological and sociocultural processes through which past exposures shape present physiological...

ObjectiveTo estimate the association of obesity with severity (defined as use of invasive mechanical ventilation or intensive care unit admission) and all-cause mortality in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients. Patients and MethodsA systematic search was conducted from inception of COVID-19 pandemic through January 31st, 2021 for full-length articles focusing on the association of increased BMI/ Obesity and outcome in COVID-19 patients with help of various databases including Medline (...

Pediatric obesity is associated with multi-organ inflammation and an increased risk of cardiometabolic disease. To identify novel biomarkers of early-onset obesity-related cardiometabolic risk, we performed targeted proteomics, analyzing 149 proteins related to inflammation and cardiovascular disease in a cross-sectional sample of 2,377 children and adolescents with overweight/obesity and 1,647 with normal weight. In addition, we analyzed 64 circulating inflammation-related proteins in 184 child...

ObjectiveTo investigate how genetic variations in obesity-related genes affect the AMPK signaling pathway and contribute to the pathophysiology of cardiovascular disease in the context of obesity. BackgroundThe global rise in obesity presents serious public health challenges, significantly increasing the risk of comorbidities such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Genetic predisposition plays a critical role in obesity, with several genes influencing metabolic regulation. AMP-activ...

BackgroundGestational age (GEAA) estimated by newborn DNA methylation (GAmAge) is associated with maternal prenatal exposures and immediate birth outcomes. However, the association of GAmAge with long-term overweight or obesity (OWO) trajectories is yet to be determined. MethodsGAmAge was calculated for 831 children from a US predominantly urban, low-income, multi-ethnic birth cohort using Illumina EPIC array and cord-blood DNA samples. Repeated anthropometric measurements aligned with pediatri...

ImportanceBody mass index (BMI) is widely used to assess obesity-related health risks, but waist circumference (WC) and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) are thought to better capture central adiposity and associated disease risk. ObjectiveTo compare the associations of BMI, WC, and WHtR with the risk of 78 incident conditions, multiple long-term conditions (MLTCs), and mortality, and to evaluate whether waist-based measures improve risk identification over BMI and, if so, over which BMI range. Des...

BackgroundObesity remains a major public health concern in the UK, contributing towards increased disease risk and premature mortality. The Eatwell Guide - the UKs health eating model - is widely applied in policy and practice, yet evidence linking adherence to this dietary pattern with adiposity is limited. Similarly, understanding whether associations differ across population subgroups, including by level of genetic risk for obesity, is essential to inform equitable and effective dietary guida...

Resolving the ambivalence between immediate cravings and long-term consequences is a key target of communication-based interventions toward behavioral change, such as motivational interviewing. Here, we aimed to understand how this ambivalence influences food preference formation and its neural mechanism. Eighty-five participants with varying body mass indices and food addiction-like symptoms underwent a motivational interviewing session during which they formulated personal reasons for (i.e., c...

ObjectiveSoluble receptors for advanced glycation end-products (sRAGE) and Toll-like receptor 4 (sTLR4) function as decoy receptors that blunt proinflammatory signaling in metabolic disease. This study examined the effects of 12 weeks of aerobic exercise (AE) training on circulating sRAGE, sTLR4, and associated skeletal muscle sheddase regulators in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). MethodsThirty-three sedentary adults with T2DM (age 40-75 yrs) were randomized to AE (n=20) or control...

Background and AimsSugar intake has been linked to obesity, however, the relationship between individual sugar perception and dietary choice remains unclear. The current study aims to measure individual bi-directional rejection thresholds and compare these measures to sugar intake and consumption patterns of sweet-taste beverages. MethodsA cross-section design will be used to analyse the relationship between sweetness perception, sucrose liking, and dietary intake. Participants will attend labo...

BackgroundEctopic fat deposition in skeletal muscle, termed myosteatosis, is a key factor in insulin resistance and contributes to various metabolic disturbances. This study evaluated the association between myosteatosis, assessed via abdominal computed tomography, and cardiac function in an asymptomatic Korean population. MethodsThis cross-sectional study included 7,716 participants (4,902 [63.5%] men and 2,814 [36.5%] women, mean age 53.2 {+/-} 8.0) who underwent routine health check-ups at A...

Background/ObjectivesThis study aimed to predict body mass index (BMI) trajectories from childhood to early adulthood using explainable artificial intelligence, integrating polygenic scores (PGS), maternal, early-life, and familial factors to identify key predictors of obesity risk and inform prevention strategies. Subjects/MethodsWe analysed longitudinal data from the Raine Study Gen2 cohort, recruiting 2 868 participants. This observational study, without randomization or case-control design,...

BackgroundEarly temperament may shape childrens eating behaviours and growth, yet longitudinal evidence supporting these associations remains limited. We aimed to identify latent temperament profiles from 6 months to 5 years and examine their associations with eating behaviours and longitudinal changes in BMI-SDS. MethodsData were drawn from the FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, a population based longitudinal study in Southwest Finland (n=2,286). Child temperament was assessed at 6 and 12 months, ...