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Obesity is a condition in which the natural energy reserve, stored in the fatty tissue of humans and other mammals, is increased to a point where it's associated with certain health conditions or increased mortality.

Although obesity is an individual clinical condition, it's increasingly viewed as a serious and growing public health problem: excessive body weight has been shown to predispose to various diseases, particularly cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus, sleep apnea, and osteoarthritis.

However, the causes and treatment for obesity are poorly understood and controversial. Although certain genetic, lifestyle, environmental and co-morbidity factors (such as diabetes) are clearly at play, the correlation (let alone causation) between any of the suspected factors and a patient's body mass index is tenuous at best. Moreover, many of the treatments have very little backing from clinical trials, none work consistently, any many patients relapse after losing the weight. Several past treatments, such as amphetamines, had unacceptable side effects.

Examples on House[]

Obesity at Wikipedia

Obesity at Mayo Clinic

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