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The Pathophysiology of Obesity and Obesity-Related Diseases

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The ASMBS Textbook of Bariatric Surgery

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Abstract

The first half of this chapter addresses the pathophysiology of obesity itself. The chapter discussed the physiologic mechanisms that lead to the obesity phenotype and answers the question, “How do we become obese?” The chapter also discusses the genetic, evolutionary, and environmental forces that have molded these regulatory systems to create the modern obesity epidemic. In doing so, the chapter answers the question, “Why do we become obese?” Because obesity is associated with a wide range of pathology, the second half of the chapter explores the pathophysiology of obesity-related metabolic disease and studies the effects of nutrient excess on cellular metabolism and systemic physiology.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery, University of Michigan Hospital, University of Michigan, 1500 E. Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA

    Robert W. O’Rourke MD

Authors
  1. Robert W. O’Rourke MD
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Correspondence to Robert W. O’Rourke MD .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of California, Irvine Medical Center, Orange, California, USA

    Ninh T. Nguyen

  2. Scottsdale Bariatric Center, Scottsdale, Arizona, USA

    Robin P. Blackstone

  3. Section of Bariatric and Minimally Invasive (BMI) Surgery, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA

    John M. Morton

  4. Bariatric Surgery, Hamilton Medical Center, Dalton, Georgia, USA

    Jaime Ponce

  5. Professor of Surgery and Chairman Department of General Surgery Director, The Bariatric and Metabolic Institute Cleveland Clinic, Weston, Florida, USA

    Raul J. Rosenthal

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O’Rourke, R.W. (2015). The Pathophysiology of Obesity and Obesity-Related Diseases. In: Nguyen, N., Blackstone, R., Morton, J., Ponce, J., Rosenthal, R. (eds) The ASMBS Textbook of Bariatric Surgery. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-1206-3_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-1206-3_2

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4939-1205-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4939-1206-3

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