In the United States, the adult obesity rate stands at 42.4%, with 16 states having obesity rates of 35% or higher. Globally, the prevalence of obesity is lower but continues to increase, with 39% of adults aged 18 or over being overweight, and 13% being obese.
Obesity is associated with a number of medical issues, including high blood pressure, high LDL cholesterol, low HDL cholesterol, and high triglycerides. It is also associated with type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, gallbladder disease, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, cardiovascular diseases, urinary incontinence, venous problems of the legs, lower back pain, and an increased risk of death across all age groups.
Even lower levels of obesity are associated with an increased incidence of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Despite the many medical breakthroughs over the years, effective treatment for obesity has been elusive.
The most common medical advice to obese people is to make lifestyle changes. Eat less and exercise more. Change your diet and play a sport…
This can be frustrating for people who are not physically able to exercise.
A potential new Treatment for Obesity
Credit: Nicoletta Barolini/Columbia University
Recently, researchers at Columbia Engineering and Columbia University Irving Medical Center have developed a new method to target fat cell deposits specifically and safely using cationic nanomaterials.
The nanomaterials remodel fat rather than destroy it, providing an option for obese people who are unable to exercise.
The ability to target fat cells and safely uncouple unhealthy fat formation from healthy fat metabolism is a major step forward in treating obesity and its associated diseases.
Read More – Positively Charged Nanomaterials Treat Obesity Anywhere You Want
