title: Human obesity and some of its experimental counterparts.
abstract: Human obesity is a manifestation of a positive energy balance. A variety of different factors influence this balance. The varieties of human obesity may be classified as follows: 1. Childhood onset with or without an increased number of adipocytes; 2. The syndromes of neuroendocrine dysfunction including hypothalamic obesity, Cushing's disease, and hyperinsulinism; 3. Dietary obesity; 4. Obesity due to physical inactivity; and 5. Genetic forms of obesity. Among the genetic form of obesity are the Laurence-Moon-Bardet-Biedl syndrome. Alstrom's syndrome, and possibly the Prader-Willi syndrome. Studies in experimental animals have increased our understanding of two of these forms of human obesity. These are: 1. Hypothalamic obesity associated with decreased sympathetic activity, hyperphagia and an increased secretion of insulin. Subdiaphragmatic vagotomy can reverse this syndrome; 2. Genetic forms of obesity inherited as recessive or dominant traits.
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000166:cytology; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D001717:Birds; D002415:Cats; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D000882:Haplorhini; D006801:Humans; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000293:injuries / Q000502:physiology; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009765:Obesity / Q000145:classification / Q000209:etiology* / Q000235:genetics; D051381:Rats; D014628:Vagotomy
chemical_list: D007328:Insulin