Obesity and metabolic disease.

摘要

The following four papers discussing different aspects of obesity are reproduced: 'Obesity and metabolic disease: is adipose tissue the culprit' by K.N. Frayn, pp7-13. 'Endothelial dysfunction: role in obesity-related disorders and the early origins of cardiovascular disease' by A. Singhal, pp15-22; 'Fatty acids and the metabolic syndrome' by H.M. Roche, pp23-29; and 'The biology of obesity' by P. Trayhurn, pp31-38. The final paper discusses the emerging role of white adipose tissue in energy balance and obesity. White adipose tissue is the organ that defines obesity, it is the source of a critical endocrine signal in the control of body weight; and it secretes adipokines, some of which are directly implicated in the pathologies associated with obesity.