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Pathological Alteration of Human Adipose Tissue in Obesity

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Book cover Novel Insights into Adipose Cell Functions

Part of the book series: Research and Perspectives in Endocrine Interactions ((RPEI))

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Abstract

Obesity, a disease of Western and developing societies, is spreading at an epidemic pace throughout the world. According to the World Health Organization, obesity is defined as an increase or abnormal accumulation of body fat mass to the extent that an individual’s health will be negatively affected. Being overweight (i.e., Body Mass Index > 25 kg/m2) is considered as a significant risk factor for the development of many chronic diseases. Environmental, behavioral, genetic and biological factors interact to cause obesity. Human obesity can be viewed as a set of phenotypes that evolve over time in a sequence of stages that need to be precisely measured. This presentation provides a clinical viewpoint on some biological processes that may explain some of the stages in the development of human obesity, its chronic maintenance and occurrence of complications, with a main focus on the profound alterations in the biology of white adipose tissue.

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Acknowledgments

The author warmly thanks Dr Joan Tordjman and Dr Raffaella Cancello for their contributions to the iconography and Dr Jean-Louis Nahon and Charmaine Tam for critical reading of the manuscript. Several works presented at this conference are granted by ADAPT, HEPADIP and DIOGENES networks supported by the European Community.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Pitié Salpêtrière Hospital, Endocrinology and Nutrition department, AP-HP, Paris, F-75013, France

    Karine Clément

  2. INSERM, Nutriomique U872, Paris, Paris, F-75006, France

    Karine Clément

  3. Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris6, UMR S 872, Paris, F-75006, France

    Karine Clément

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  1. Karine Clément
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Correspondence to Karine Clément .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Fondation IPSEN, Quai Georges Gorse 65, Boulogne-Billancourt Cedex, 92650, France

    Yves Christen

  2. , Endocrinology and Nutrition Department, Pitié Salpetrière Hospital, rue de l'école de médecine 15, Paris, 75006, France

    Karine Clément

  3. and the Harvard Medical School, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Binney Street 44, Boston, 02115, USA

    Bruce M. Spiegelman

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Clément, K. (2010). Pathological Alteration of Human Adipose Tissue in Obesity. In: Christen, Y., Clément, K., Spiegelman, B. (eds) Novel Insights into Adipose Cell Functions. Research and Perspectives in Endocrine Interactions. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-13517-0_1

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