The World Health Organization (WHO) projects that by 2015, 700 million adults will be obese (http://www.who.int/en/). The prevalence of adults in the U.S. who are obese is still high, with about one-third of adults obese in 2007-2008, although new data suggest that the rate of increase for obesity in the U.S. in recent decades may be slowing (1). Studies have shown that being overweight or obese is associated with many diseases, many life threatening. Overall and abdominal obesity are associated with increased prevalence of periodontal disease (2). We are now finding that where the fat lies in the body may have significant impact on its pathogenic properties. This article will review some of the new findings in the area of fat and obesity.
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