Recent Developments in Obesity Research: Linkages between Obesity, Disability, and Physical Functioning

Abstract

In the last several decades, the literature on obesity has increased exponentially. In spite of growing interest in trends in obesity worldwide, we remain largely in the dark regarding the true nature of the causes and consequences of obesity. High weight is clearly a risk factor for a variety of negative health outcomes; indeed, obesity is one of the clearest negative health trends to emerge in the last half of the twentieth century. What continues to elude us is the mechanism by which obesity impacts health and functioning, a critical distinction which must precede the development of effective interventions. © 2013 Springer Science+Business Media New York.