title: Obesity, adipose tissue function and the role of vitamin D.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Obesity is not just a cosmetic problem. Pathological accumulation of body fat can cause many health problems: insulin resistance, impaired glucose tolerance, and diabetes mellitus type 2. It may also increase morbidity and mortality. Adipose tissue plays an important role in body homeostasis by producing and secreting several bioactive proteins known as adipokines: adiponectin, leptin, resistin, visfatin, and apelin, which are involved in the regulation of food intake, glucose and lipid metabolism, and insulin action. There can be observed nutritional deficiencies, despite increased food intake, in morbidly obese people. Data concerning concentrations of serum 25(OH)D3 presented an inverse correlation with obesity parameters like: BMI (body mass index), waist circumference, fat mass or percentage of body fat. Also, higher insulin sensitivity was associated with higher concentrations of vitamin D.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Studies published up to now suggest that vitamin D plays an important role in adipose tissue function and could be involved in the synthesis and modulation of adipokine production. This article is a review of the literature on fatty tissue function and the role of vitamin D in obesity.
authors.affiliation: Doctoral Study in the School of Pharmacy with the Division of Laboratory Medicine in Sosnowiec, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, Poland ; Department of Nutrition-Associated Disease Prevention, Faculty of Public Health, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, Poland.
authors.forename: Aneta U
authors.initials: AU
authors.lastname: Koszowska
authors.affiliation: Doctoral Study in the School of Pharmacy with the Division of Laboratory Medicine in Sosnowiec, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, Poland ; Department of Nutrition-Associated Disease Prevention, Faculty of Public Health, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, Poland.
authors.forename: Justyna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nowak
authors.affiliation: Doctoral Study in the School of Medicine with the Division of Dentistry in Zabrze, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, Poland.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dittfeld
authors.affiliation: Doctoral Study in the School of Health Care in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, Poland.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brończyk-Puzoń
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, County Hospital Piekary Śląskie, Poland.
authors.forename: Agata
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kulpok
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition-Associated Disease Prevention, Faculty of Public Health, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, Poland.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zubelewicz-Szkodzińska
keywords: adipokines; fatty tissue; obesity; vitamin D