Excessive body weight, or even the extreme variant obesity, is increasingly common in the Netherlands. Obesity is associated with numerous serious conditions, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, accelerated wear and tear of joints, back problems and breathing problems such as sleep apnoea. Not only is obesity a problem of older people, but almost more alarming is the increasing incidence of severe obesity in children. Childhood obesity often predicts serious problems in adulthood. Obviously, there is a big role here for timely prevention, for instance through dietary advice, more exercise and sports and other lifestyle interventions. There are several cohorts of children and adults in the Netherlands that are followed over time and from which important knowledge can be gained. But a better understanding of why some people get fat so quickly and others do not, can also help to do something about obesity.
Connecting character
Obesity research has both fundamental and societal perspectives. Obesity research focuses on studying the functioning of energy metabolism, eating behaviour including associated cognitive mechanisms, cultural influences as well as exercise and lifestyle interventions. The role that genetic factors have in interaction with the outside world are also an important lead in obesity. Understanding the influence of genes and environment on obesity contributes to a better understanding about this condition. Individuals with obesity have increased risk of diseases and conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer and may have side effects such as osteoarthritis, sleep disturbances and shortness of breath. There is therefore a direct link to these areas of research.
