Energy Metabolism-Related Genes in Obesity

Obesity is a global epidemic that affects individuals of all ages races and socioeconomic statuses. It is defined as having a BMI of 30 or higher. Over the past 20 years the prevalence of obesity has increased dramatically worldwide.Obesity is characterized by a disrupted regulation of energy balance which leads to excessive body fat accumu-lation. It has a devastating effect on human health as it increases the risk of chronic conditions such as type 2 diabetes mellitus hypertension kidney diseases heart disease stroke and some types of cancer. These conditions not only deteriorate the quality of life but also create a huge economic and clinical burden.The modern sedentary lifestyle and overeating are hy-pothesized to be major causes of obesity and its associated co-morbidities. However the genetic factors also play a key role in the imbalanced energy metabolism in obesity .Obesity has been associated with genes involved in energy metabolism which regulate energy balance appetite and fat storage.Therefore understanding the genetic factors that influence energy metabolism may help in the prevention of obesity by providing effective control mechanisms.