National Institutes of Health
- The primary NIH organization for research on Obesity is the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
A service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine 
National Institutes of Health
Obesity
Obesity means having too much body fat. It is different from being overweight, which means weighing too much. The weight may come from muscle, bone, fat and/or body water. Both terms mean that a person's weight is greater than what's considered healthy for his or her height.
Obesity occurs over time when you eat more calories than you use. The balance between calories-in and calories-out differs for each person. Factors that might tip the balance include your genetic makeup, overeating, eating high-fat foods and not being physically active.
Being obese increases your risk of diabetes, heart disease, stroke, arthritis and some cancers. If you are obese, losing even 5 to 10 percent of your weight can delay or prevent some of these diseases.
NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
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Start Here
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Overweight and Obesity(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
- Also available in Spanish
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Understanding Adult Obesity(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
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Overweight and Obesity
The top row in the table of contents box contains the following groups:
Basics
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Learn More
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Multimedia & Cool Tools
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For group Basics
For group Learn More
For group Multimedia & Cool Tools
The bottom row in the table of contents box contains the following groups:
Research
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Reference Shelf
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For You
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For group Research
For group Reference Shelf
For group For You
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Overviews
- Defining Overweight and Obesity(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Overweight, Obesity, and Weight Loss(Dept. of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health)
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Latest News
- Can't Stop Eating M&Ms?(09/20/2012, HealthDay)
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Benefits Beyond Weight Loss?
(09/19/2012, HealthDay)
- Fat and Getting Fatter: U.S. Obesity Rates to Soar by 2030(09/18/2012, Reuters Health)
- Belly Fat Adds to Diabetes Risk in Obese Adults, Study Finds(09/18/2012, HealthDay)
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Breast Cancer and Weight(08/27/2012, HealthDay)
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Worrying About Weight(08/16/2012, HealthDay)
- Medications Target Long-Term Weight Control(07/17/2012, Food and Drug Administration)
- More News on Obesity
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Diagnosis/Symptoms
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Assessing Your Weight and Health Risk(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
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Body Mass Index Chart(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
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Assessing Your Weight and Health Risk
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Treatment
- How Are Overweight and Obesity Treated?(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
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MedlinePlus: Weight Control(National Library of Medicine)
- Also available in Spanish
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MedlinePlus: Weight Loss Surgery(National Library of Medicine)
- Also available in Spanish
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Prescription Medications for the Treatment of Obesity(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
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Prevention/Screening
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Balance Food and Activity(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
- Screening for and Management of Obesity in Adults(American College of Physicians) - PDF
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Balance Food and Activity
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Specific Conditions
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Obesity Hypoventilation Syndrome(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
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Obesity Hypoventilation Syndrome
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Related Issues
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Active at Any Size(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
- Disability and Obesity(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Also available in Spanish
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Do You Know the Health Risks of Being Overweight?(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
- Hormones and Obesity(Hormone Health Network) - PDF
- Migraine and Obesity: What You Should Know!(American Headache Society, Committee on Headache Education)
- Mind/Body Health: Obesity(American Psychological Association)
- Normal Weight Obesity: A Hidden Health Risk?(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Obesity -- Stroke Connection(American Heart Association)
- Obesity and Anesthesia(American Society of Anesthesiologists)
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Obesity and Cancer Risk(National Cancer Institute)
- Also available in Spanish
- Overweight and Obesity: Causes and Consequences(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Sex Differences in Obesity(Society for Women's Health Research)
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Active at Any Size
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Health Check Tools
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Calculate Your Body Mass Index(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
- Also available in Spanish
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Calculate Your Body Mass Index
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Videos
- BMI Rebound: An Obesity Clue (Video)(American Academy of Pediatrics)
- If I Had - Morbid Obesity(Insidermedicine)
- Pregnancy Complications: Overweight and Obesity during Pregnancy(March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation)
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Clinical Trials
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Obesity(National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Obesity
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Genetics
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Genetics Home Reference: Cohen syndrome(National Library of Medicine)
- Obesity & Genetics(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
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Genetics Home Reference: Cohen syndrome
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Research
- Accelerating Progress in Obesity Prevention: Solving the Weight of the Nation(Institute of Medicine)
- Food for Thought: Obesity and Addiction(Society for Neuroscience)
- Growth Hormone Increases Bone Formation in Obese Women(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America)
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Obesity and Cancer Research(National Cancer Institute)
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Journal Articles
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
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Dictionaries/Glossaries
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Obesity, Physical Activity, and Weight-Control Glossary(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
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Obesity, Physical Activity, and Weight-Control Glossary
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Directories
- Find a Registered Dietitian(Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics)
- Find a Weight Loss Doctor(American Society of Bariatric Physicians)
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Organizations
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National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
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National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
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Weight-Control Information Network(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
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National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
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Newsletters/Print Publications
- Weight Management and Obesity Resource List(Food and Nutrition Information Center) - PDF
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Statistics
- CDC Vital Signs: Adult Obesity(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- CDC Vital Signs: More People Walk to Better Health(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- FastStats: Obesity and Overweight(National Center for Health Statistics)
- Obesity Data/Statistics(Dept. of Health and Human Services, Office of Minority Health)
- Obesity Trends in Adults with Arthritis(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Prevalence of Obesity in the United States, 2009-2010(National Center for Health Statistics)
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Statistics Related to Overweight and Obesity(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
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MedlinePlus Magazine
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Children
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MedlinePlus: Obesity in Children(National Library of Medicine)
- Also available in Spanish
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MedlinePlus: Obesity in Children
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Men
- Belly Fat in Men: Why Weight Loss Matters(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
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Women
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Pregnancy Complications: Overweight and Obesity during Pregnancy(March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation)
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Pregnancy Complications: Overweight and Obesity during Pregnancy
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Patient Handouts
- Body mass index
- Also available in Spanish
- Obesity
- Also available in Spanish
- Obesity hypoventilation syndrome (OHS)
- Also available in Spanish
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Prescription Medications for the Treatment of Obesity(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
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You may also be interested in these related encyclopedia pages:
MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA
Languages
- Arabic (العربية)
- Spanish (español)
- Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt)
Obesity - Multiple Languages