Obesity is a metabolic condition in which too much fat accumulates in the body impairing health. Fat cells, called adipocytes, secrete hormones that regulate some of the body’s core physiological functions including metabolism and inflammation. When these cells accumulate more fat (lipids) than they can handle, they malfunction, contributing to obesity.
This complex and chronic disease can lead to severe medical problems and increases the risk of other serious conditions such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and certain types of cancer.
To ease the stress of these overburdened fat cells, people with obesity need to reduce their body weight. The traditional intervention for weight reduction has been lifestyle changes such as diet and exercise. However, these changes do not work for everyone.
