title: Promising new causal explanations for obesity and obesity-related diseases.
abstract: Current explanations for obesity center around a predisposition in genotype and phenotype, possibly triggered by an inflammatory process or event, and exacerbated by environmental and psychological factors. It is likely that a variety of physiologic factors may act in combination to produce clinical obesity. Leptin resistance may be an important neurochemical cause of obesity; elevated leptin levels have been correlated with weight gain over extended time periods. Genetic studies support the postulate that a gene originating with our cave-dwelling ancestors, critical to survival when food was scare, has evolved into a trigger for obesity and related diseases. A variety of biochemical markers are prevalent in obesity and obesity-linked disease states. C-reactive protein, interleukin-6, and others are elevated in obesity, supporting the hypothesis that inflammation plays a role in the condition. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha is overexpressed in obesity and diabetes, suggesting that it may be part of the link between the 2 conditions.
authors.affiliation: Indian Health Services, Elko, Nevada, USA.
authors.forename: Carrie
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Power
authors.forename: Sally K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: Patricia T
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Alpert
mesh_terms: D001066:Appetite; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D015984:Causality; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000209:etiology; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000009:adverse effects; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood; D008019:Life Style; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000378:metabolism; D010641:Phenotype; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D004041:Dietary Fats; D015850:Interleukin-6; D020738:Leptin; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D002097:C-Reactive Protein