**6. Key points**


**5**

provided the original work is properly cited.

\*Address all correspondence to: hulyacakmur@gmail.com

*Introductory Chapter: Unbearable Burden of the Diseases: Obesity*

biological, behavioral, environmental, and molecular.

• The main factors in the pathogenesis of obesity are claimed to be genetic,

• Obesity reduces life expectancy and increases the risk of mortality.

• Almost 50% of adults are overweight and obese in many countries.

• Obesity is a major risk factor for several diseases from metabolic and mental to

• A quarter of children around the world are obese and obese children mostly

• BMI is a commonly used indicator for obesity, but central obesity could be

• Obesity-related health problems also increase the treatment cost and lead to

• The prevalence of obesity is higher in low-income and low-educated people and the rate of obesity increases with age. Female gender is a risk factor for

• Obesity is preventable. Population-based, preventive, and sustainable public

health approaches are necessary to combat an epidemic of obesity.

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.85234*

cancer.

hidden.

**Author details**

Hülya Çakmur

Kafkas University, Turkey

become obese adults.

financial and labor loss in society.

obesity especially in developing countries.

© 2020 The Author(s). Licensee IntechOpen. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/ by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium,

*Obesity*

developing countries. [2, 3, 7, 24].

**5. Combating obesity**

Egypt: 28%, Australia: 28%, UK: 28%, France: 23%, Italy: 21%, Sweden: 20%, Germany: 20%, Brazil: 20%, and Japan: 3%. [2, 3, 24]. The worst is that obesity affects children all around the world. It has been reported that a quarter of children around the world are obese. The prevalence of obesity is especially high in industrialized countries, but it is also dramatically increasing in developing countries. Obesity prevalence is higher in low-income and low-educated people and the rate of obesity increases with age. Female gender is a risk factor for obesity especially in

As the prevalence of obesity increases, the morbidity and mortality from obesity-related diseases (mainly cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and various cancers) also increase [9, 24–26]. Obesity and obesity-related morbidities require careful clinical assessment. Obesity-related health problems also increase the treatment cost and lead to financial and labor loss in society [27]. As an effective strategy to combating obesity, population-based, preventive, and sustainable public health approaches are necessary. Specialized public health strategies for the risk groups such as children, adolescent, low-educated, and disabled people are also important to reduce and prevent obesity. Obesity is preventable and health care professionals have an important role in preventing it. Aim of the health care policies is to increase the life expectancy and more qualified life span for human beings all over the world. Healthy and supportive environments are indispensable to combat obesity [28, 29]. Education is the most important step for challenging obesity. The training program should be implemented at every opportunity to effect people's choices, by making basic healthy life-style choices (i.e., regular physical activity, healthier foods, etc.). Lifestyle factors and personal responsibility are efficient to some degree to decrease the prevalence of obesity. However, more effective measures are required to cope with an epidemic of obesity at the societal level. Parents must be enlightened about obesity to prevent childhood obesity. Obese children mostly become obese adults. Healthier food choices are provided in school. Obesity awareness must be increased by educative programs (such as school-based education about nutrition and dietary guidelines) [30, 31]. The fundamental issue is to produce healthier and unprocessed foods for the growing world population. Food marketing and pricing policies

should be changed in favor of the people, not the industry.

• Obesity could be defined as a multifactorial and heterogeneous disease.

• Adipose tissue is a storage and endocrine organ needed for energy homeostasis.

• The underlying mechanisms of obesity-related diseases are associated with the

• Fat accumulation actually is a biological defense mechanism of the adipose

• Obesity is a chronic systemic inflammation of the adipose tissue.

• Excessive fat accumulation continually increases oxidative stress.

**4**

**6. Key points**

tissue.

oxidative damage.

