Skip to main content

Overweight and Obesity: The Bane of Modern Times

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Book cover Food and Human Responses

Abstract

The chapter discusses, at length, overweight and obesity, the bane of modern times, a historical perspective, their scientific definition, their psychological fallout, their biological impact, and the interrelationship between energy intake and behavioral changes. There would also be a discussion on “very-low-calorie diets” and what role do they play on weight loss. Discussion would also be there on diet composition and how to manage over weight.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Ahima, R. S., Saper, C. B., Filler, J. S., & Elmquist, J. K. (2000). Leptin regulation of neuroendocrine systems. Frontiers of Neuroendocrinology, 21, 263–307.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Aronne, L. J., Neelinson, D. S., & Lillo, J. L. (2009). Obesity as a disease state: A new paradigm for diagnosis and treatment. Clinical Cornerstone, 9, 9–25.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Blundell, J. E., & MacDiamid, J. I. (1997). Fat as a risk factor for overconsumption: Situation, satiety and patterns of eating. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 97, S63–S69.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bray, G. A. (2008). Fructose: Should we worry? International Journal of Obesity, 32, S127–S131.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bray, G. A. (2014). Obesity has always been with us: A historical introduction. In G. A. Bray & C. Bouchard (Eds.), Handbook of obesity: Clinical applications (3rd ed., pp. 3–18). Boca Raton: CRC Press.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Broom, D. R., Batterham, R. L., King, J. A., & Stensel, D. J. (2009). Influence of resistance and aerobic exercise on hunger, circulating levels of acylated ghrelin, and peptide YY in healthy males. American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology, 296, R29–R35.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Brownell, K. D., Kersh, R., Ludwig, D. S., Post, R. C., & Puhl, R. M. (2010). Personal responsibility and obesity: A constructive approach to a controversial issue. Health Affairs, 29, 379–387.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Burger, S., & Berner, L. A. (2014). A functional neuroimaging review of obesity, appetite hormones and ingestive behavior. Physiology & Behavior, 136, 121–127.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Burton-Freeman, B. (2000). Dietary fiber and energy regulation. Journal of Nutrition, 130, 272S–275S.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cappuccio, F. P., Taggart, F. M., Kandala, N. B., Currie, A., & Peile, E. (2008). Meta-analysis of short sleep duration and obesity in children, adolescents and adults. Sleep, 31, 619–626.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Curioni, C. C., & Lourenco, P. M. (2005). Long - term weight loss after diet and exercise: A systematic review. International Journal of Obesity, 29, 1168–1174.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Darby, W. J., Ghalioungui, P., & Gravetti, L. (1977). Food: The gift of Osiris. London: Academic.

    Google Scholar 

  • Das, S. K., & Roberts, S. B. (2012). Energy metabolism in fasting, fed, exercise, and re-feeding states. In J. W. Erdman, I. A. McDonald, & S. H. Zeisel (Eds.), Present knowledge in nutrition (10th ed., pp. 58–68). Ames: International Life Sciences Institute.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Despres, J. P., & Lemieux, I. (2006). Abdominal obesity and metabolic syndrome. Nature, 444, 881–887.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • DiGirolamo, M., Harp, J., & Stevens, J. (2000). Obesity: Definition and epidemiology. In D. H. Lockwood & T. G. Heffner (Eds.), Obesity: Pathology and therapy (pp. 3–28). Berlin: Springer.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Economic Research Service. (2014). Food availability (per capita) data system: Summary findings. United States Department of Agriculture. Available at: http://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/food-availability-per-capita-data-system/summary-findings.aspx. Accessed 25 Mar 2015.

  • Elia, M. (2001). Obesity in the elderly. Obesity Research, 9, 244S–248S.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Epel, E., Jimenez, S., Brownell, K., Stroud, L., Stonedy, C., & Niaaura, R. (2004). Are stress eaters at risk for the metabolic syndrome? Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1032, 208–210.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fernandez-Fernandez, R., & Tena-Sempere, M. (2013). Overview of ghrelin, appetite, and energy balance. In D. Bagchi & H. C. Preuss (Eds.), Obesity: Epidemiology, pathophysiology and prevention (2nd ed., pp. 161–169). Boca Raton: CRC Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Flegal, K. M., Shepherd, J. A., Looker, A. C., Graubard, B. I., & Borrud, L. G. (2009). Comparisons of percentage body fat, body mass index, waist circumference, and waist-stature ratio in adults. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 89, 500–508.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fleury, C., Neverova, M., Collins, S., Raimbault, S., & Champigny, O. (1997). Uncoupling protein- 2: A novel gene linked to obesity and hyperinsulinemia. Nature Genetics, 15(3), 269–272.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Garcia, A. L., Wagner, K., Hothorn, T., Koebnick, C., Zunft, H. J. F., & Trippo, U. (2005). Improved prediction of body fat by measuring skinfold thickness, circumferences, and bone breadths. Obesity, 13, 626–634.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Goodpaster, B. H. (2002). Measuring body fat distribution and content in humans. Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition & Metabolic Care, 5, 481–487.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Helmchen, L. A., & Henderson, R. M. (2004). Changes in the distribution of body mass index of white US men, 1890–2000. Annals of Human Biology, 31, 174–181.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hill, J. O., Wyatt, H. R., Phelan, S., & Wing, R. R. (2005). The national weight control registry: Is it useful in helping deal with our obesity epidemic? Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 37, 206–210.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hu, F. B., Li, T. Y., Colditz, G. A., Willsett, W. C., & Manson, J. E. (2003). Television watching and other sedentary behaviors in relation to risk of obesity and type-2 diabetes mellitus in women. Journal of the American Medical Association, 289, 1785–1791.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Insel, P., Ross, D., McMahon, K., & Bernstein, M. (2013). Discovering nutrition (4th ed.). Burlington: Jones and Bartlett Learning.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jain, A. (2004). What works for obesity? A summary of the research behind obesity interventions. London: BMJ Publishing Group.

    Google Scholar 

  • Johansson, G., Wikman, A., Ahren, A. M., Hallmans, G., & Johansson, I. (2001). Underreporting of energy intake in repeated 24-hour recalls related to gender, age, weight status, day of interview, educational level, reported food intake, smoking habits and area of living. Public Health Nutrition, 4, 919–927.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Johnson, R. K., Appel, L. J., Brands, M., Howard, B. V., & Lefevre, M. (2009). Dietary sugars intake and cardiovascular health: A scientific statement from the American Heart Association. Circulation, 120, 1011–1020.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kavey, R. E. (2010). How sweet it is: Sugar-sweetened beverage consumption, obesity, and cardiovascular risk in childhood. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 110, 1450–1460.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kirk, S. F. L., Penney, T. L., & McHugh, T. L. F. (2010). Characterizing the obesogenic environment: The state of the evidence with directions for future research. Obesity Reviews, 11, 109–117.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Knutson, K. L., Spiegel, K., Penev, P., & van Cauter, E. (2007). The metabolic consequences of sleep deprivation. Sleep Medicine Reviews, 11, 163–178.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Levine, J. A. (2004). Non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT). Nutrition Reviews, 62, S82–S97.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Levine, J. A., Eberhardt, N. L., & Jensen, M. D. (1999). Role of non exercise activity thermogenesis in resistance in fat gain in humans. Science, 283, 212–214.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Levine, J. A., Vander Weg, M. W., Hill, J. O., & Klesges, R. C. (2006). Non-exercise activity thermogensesis: The crouching tiger hidden dragon societal weight gain. Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology, 26, 729–736.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lucassen, E. A., Rother, K. I., & Gizza, G. (2012). Interacting epidemics? Sleep curtailment, insulin resistance, and obesity. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1264, 110–134.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Manco, M. (2013). Bariatric surgery and reversal of metabolic disorders. In D. Bagchi & H. C. Preuss (Eds.), Obesity: Epidemiology, pathophysiology, and prevention (2nd ed., pp. 931–945). Boca Raton: CRC Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marketdata. (2014). The US weight loss market: 2014 status report & forecast. Marketdata Enterprises Inc. Available at: http://www.marketresearch.com/Marketdata-Enterprises-Inc-v416/Weight-Loss-Status-Forecast-8016030. Accessed 25 Mar 2015.

  • McElroy, S. L., Kotwal, R., Malhotta, S., Nelson, E. B., Keck, P. E., Jr., & Nemeroff, C. B. (2004). Are mood disorders and obesity related? A review for the mental health professional. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 65, 634–651.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • McLaren, L. (2007). Socioeconomic status and obesity. Epidemiologic Reviews, 29, 29–48.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Miller, M. A., & Cappuccio, F. P. (2013). Sleep and obesity. In D. Bagchi & H. C. Preuss (Eds.), Obesity: Epidemiology, pathophysiology, prevention (2nd ed., pp. 179–190). Boca Raton: CRC Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Miyashita, K., & Hosokawa, M. (2013). Antiobesity by marine lipids. In D. Bagchi & H. C. Preuss (Eds.), Obesity: Epidemiology, pathophysiology, and prevention (2nd ed., pp. 651–665). Boca Raton: CRC Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Morton, N. M., Paterson, J. M., Masuzaki, H., Holmes, M. C., & Staels, B. (2004). Novel adipose tissue-mediated resistance to diet-induced visceral obesity in 11 β–hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase Type-1 deficient mice. Diabetes, 53, 931–938.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mourao, D. M., Bressan, J., Campbell, W. W., & Mattes, R. D. (2007). Effects of food form on appetite and energy intake in lean and obese young adults. International Journal of Obesity, 31, 1688–1695.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Nestle, M., & Nesheim, M. (2012). Why calories count: From science to politics. Berkley: University of California Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ng, M., Fleming, T., Robinson, M., Thomson, B., & Graetz, N. (2014). Global, national and regional prevalence of overweight and obesity in children and adults during 1980–2013: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013. The Lancet, 384, 766–781.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nieman, D. C. (2010). Exercise testing and prescription (7th ed.). New York: McGraw - Hill Higher Education.

    Google Scholar 

  • Noakes, M., Keogh, J. B., Foster, P. R., & Clifton, P. M. (2005). Effect of an energy-restricted, high-protein, low-fat diet relative to a conventional high-carbohydrate, low-fat diet on weight loss, body composition, nutritional status, and markers of cardiovascular health in obese women. American Journal of Nutrition, 81, 1298–1306.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Paddon-Jones, D., Westman, E., Mattes, R. D., Wolfe, R. R., Astrup, A., & Weterterp-Plantenga, M. (2008). Protein, weight management and satiety. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 87, 1558S–1561S.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pedersen, S. D., Sjodin, A., & Astrup, A. (2012). Obesity as a health risk. In J. W. Erdman, I. A. McDonald, & S. H. Zeisel (Eds.), Present knowledge in nutrition (10th ed., pp. 709–720). Ames: International Life Sciences Institute.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Pi-Sunyer, F. X. (2007). Weight management in diabetes prevention. In R. F. Kushner & D. H. Bessesen (Eds.), Treatment of the obese patient (pp. 243–263). Totowa: Humana Press Inc..

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Popkin, B. M., Adair, L. S., & Ng, S. W. (2012). Global nutrition transition and the pandemic of obesity in developing countries. Nutrition reviews, 70, 3–21.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Puder, J. J., & Munsch, S. (2010). Psychological correlates of childhood obesity. International Journal of Obesity, 34, S37–S43.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Quetelet, L. A. J. (1871). Anthropometrie ou mesure des differentes faculties de l’homme [Anthropometry or measurement of different characteristics of man]. Brusels: Muqerdt

    Google Scholar 

  • Rand, C. S., & MacGregor, A. M. (1991). Successful weight loss following obesity surgery and the perceived liability of morbid obesity. International Journal of Obesity, 15, 577–579.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Roberts, D. L., Dive, C., & Renehan, A. G. (2010). Biological mechanisms linking obesity and cancer risk: New perspectives. Annual Review of Medicine, 61, 310–316.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rolls, B. J. (2003). The supersizing of America: Portion size and the obesity epidemic. Nutrition Today, 38, 42–53.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rolls, B. J., Drewnowski, A., & Ledikwe, J. H. (2005). Changing the energy density of the diet as a strategy for weight management. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 105, S98–S103.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Saris, W. H. M. (2001). Very-low –calorie diets and sustained weight loss. Obesity, 9, 295S–301S.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schwartz, S. M., & Savastano, D. M. (2013). History and regulation of prescription and over-the-counter weight loss drugs. In D. Bagchi & H. C. Preuss (Eds.), Obesity: Epidemiology, pathophysiology, and prevention (2nd ed., pp. 313–348). Boca Raton: CRC Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schwartz, M., Chambliss, H. O., Brownell, K., Blair, S., & Billington, C. (2003). Weight bias among health professionals specializing in obesity. Obesity Research, 11(9), 1033–1039.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sevick, M. A., Piraino, B., Sereika, S., Starrett, T., & Bender, C. (2005). A preliminary study of PDA-based dietary self monitoring in hemodialysis patients. Journal of Renal Nutrition, 15, 304–311.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sjodin, A. M., Forslund, A. N., Westerterp, H. N., Andersson, A. B., Forslund, J. M., & Hambraaeus, L. M. (1996). The influence of physical activity on BMR. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 28, 85–91.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sturm, R. (2007). Increases in morbid obesity in the USA: 2000–2005. Public Health, 121, 492–496.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sutin, A. R., & Terracciano, A. (2013). Perceived weight discrimination and obesity. PLoS ONE, 87, e70048. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0070048.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tuthill, A., Slawik, H., O’Rahilly, S., & Finer, N. (2006). Psychiatric co-morbidities in patients attending specialist obesity services in the UK. Quarterly Journal of Medicine, 99, 317–325.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wang, Y., & Beydoun, M. A. (2007). The obesity epidemic in the United States – Gender, age, socioeconomic racial/ethnic, and geographic characteristics: A systematic review and meta-regression analysis. Epidemiologic Reviews, 29, 6–28.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wing, R. R., Gorin, A., & Tate, D. F. (2012). Strategies for changing eating and exercise behavior to promote weight loss and maintenance. In J. W. Erdman, I. A. McDonald, & S. H. Zeisel (Eds.), Present knowledge in nutrition (10th ed., pp. 1057–1070). Ames: International Life Sciences Institute.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Worobey, J. (2002). Interpersonal versus intrafamilial predictors of maladaptive eating attitudes in young women. Social Behavior and Personality, 30, 424–434.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2020 Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Nair, K.P. (2020). Overweight and Obesity: The Bane of Modern Times. In: Food and Human Responses . Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-35437-4_13

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics