Bristol Research into Obesity
- Obesity is a major pandemic associated with increased morbidity and mortality
- Currently two-thirds of the UK population are overweight or obese
- Most worrying is the increasing prevalence of obesity in children
- Childhood obesity tracks into adulthood
- Based on current trends, obesity will become the most common preventable cause of death
- Obesity is responsible for about 1000 premature deaths per week
- While the metabolic and cardiovascular consequences of obesity (metabolic syndrome) are appreciated, another important adverse effect of obesity is the development of various cancers.
Currently, there are limited effective preventative and therapeutic strategies to tackle obesity. This is because obesity results from complex interactions between genes, behaviour, and the environment.