Obesity: where are we now?

Overweight and obesity correspond to excess fat, defined and assessed in clinical practice by the body mass index (BMI: ratio of weight in kilograms to height in meters squared). Obesity has numerous negative health consequences: metabolic, cardiovascular and mechanical complications, predisposition to some cancers, and psychosocial repercussions, In France in 2003, 30% of adults were overweight and 11% obese. The increase in fat reserves that characterizes obesity results from on energy imbalance, which in turn arises from complex interactions. This explains the clinical and biological heterogeneity of human obesity Control of this epidemic in the years to come probably depends more on the implementation of activities coordinated by various social actors than on the development of a specific drug.