Handbook of Obesity - Volume 1

Book excerpt: The fifth edition of Volume 1 of Handbook of Obesity written by global experts covers the basic science aspects under the broad topic areas of epidemiology, etiology, and pathophysiology of obesity. Divided into 5 sections and detailed in 66 chapters, this edition covers the important advances occurring over the past decades. With a focus on science of obesity and factors participating in the etiology of obesity, this topic is studied from biological, behavioural, and environmental perspectives. Volume 1 is structured into 5 parts: Part 1 focuses on the history, definitions, and prevalence of the obesity. It identifies the historical references to excess weight, obesity in art and literature, direct and surrogate measurements of adiposity and obesity related traits, epidemiology of obesity around the globe, and age, sex, and ethnic variation completes this part of the volume. Part 2 explains the biological determinants of obesity. It explains the bioenergetics, energy dissipation mechanisms and exposure to experimental overfeeding, genetic and epigenetic evidence, metabolic rates, energy expenditure and energy partitioning, and the evidence on infections and adiposity. Part 3 describes the behavioral determinants of obesity. It deals with chapters related to food, beverages, and ingestive behavior, dealing with smoking, breast-feeding, and sleep duration and pattern, and sedentary behavior, occupational work, and leisure-time physical activity and obesity. Part 4 comprises of chapters explaining the environmental, social, and cultural determinants of obesity. The chapters in this section focus on the role of agriculture and the food industry in the current obesity epidemic, social and economic aspects of obesity, and ethnic and cultural differences, and environmental pollutants. Part 5 of this volume discusses the health consequences of obesity. The chapters address important topics such obesity and heart disease, lipoprotein metabolism, insulin resistance and diabetes, metabolic syndrome, cancer, hepatic biology, pulmonary functions, and arthritis and gout, mental health and quality of life, growth and health disorders in pediatric populations, and on bias and discrimination affecting the obese persons.