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The Epidemiology of Obesity and Gastrointestinal and Other Diseases: An Overview

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Abstract

The worldwide prevalence of obesity continues to increase, with devastating implications for overall health. Epidemiological trends indicate the primary contributors are environmental (e.g., increased caloric intake, lack of exercise), although the evidence is surprisingly equivocal. Increased body mass index (BMI) is associated with an increase in all-cause mortality and in diseases related to this increasing mortality rate, such as diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, and cancer, including those of the gastrointestinal system. Some of these associations are even more pronounced when obesity is measured by waist-to-hip ratio, a marker of visceral adipose tissue, versus BMI. Higher BMI is related to increased risk of developing gall stones, and obese patients experience GI symptoms, such as vomiting and diarrhea, more often compared with those of normal body mass. Although the exact cause remains uncertain, these symptoms may be connected to eating habits or to changes in gastrointestinal motility.

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Acknowledgments

Dr. Moayyedi has acted as an independent medical consultant for AstraZeneca and Janssen Ortho. He is on the speakers' bureau for AstraZeneca, Janssen Ortho, Nycomed, and Eisai. He holds a chair that is funded partly through an unrestricted donation from AstraZeneca Canada to McMaster University. The scientific roundtable was funded by Eisai, Inc. and PriCara, a Unit of Ortho-McNeil, Inc. International Meetings and Science, Inc. organized the roundtable and provided editorial support.

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  1. Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, McMaster University Medical Centre, 1200 Main Street West, HSC 4W8B, Hamilton, ON, Canada, L8N 3Z5

    Paul Moayyedi

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Moayyedi, P. The Epidemiology of Obesity and Gastrointestinal and Other Diseases: An Overview. Dig Dis Sci 53, 2293–2299 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10620-008-0410-z

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