Chapter category: Cell Metabolism
Adipose Tissue Pathology in Human Obesity
Adipose Tissue
Edited by: Susanne KlausISBN: 1-58706-040-X
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Chapter authors:
Hans Hauner, Thomas Skurk
Human obesity is characterized by an excess of adipose tissue mass that has potential adverse health consequences and may finally result in a reduced quality of life and life expectancy.1 In normal-weight subjects the adipose tissue organ constitutes between 10 and 20% of total body mass in males and between 15 and 25% in females. Although many techniques are available to determine body fat mass all of them have specific limitations. Therefore, for clinical practice and epidemiological studies simple anthropometric measures are widely used such as the body mass index (BMI = body mass (in kg) divided by body height (in m) squared; i.e., kg/m2) which was found to be a good surrogate marker of body fat mass.
According to WHO recommendations obesity is defined as a BMI 30 kg/m2 independent of gender. A BMI between 25 and 29.9 kg/m2 indicates a preobese state and can already induce characteristic health problems. In the industrialized world between 10 and 25% of the adult population have a BMI 30 kg/m2 and, in addition, up to 40% are preobese or overweight according to this criteria. Thus, obesity represents an epidemic that affects most populations and its prevalence is increasing worldwide.2
Among the many complications that are associated with obesity, disturbances of the metabolic and cardiovascular system are of particular relevance. Excess body fat promotes the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus and dyslipidemia, favors other cardiovascular risk factors such as hypertension and impaired fibrinolysis and may therefore result in an increased incidence of cardiovascular complications.1 To date, the precise causal relationship between obesity and these disturbances is only poorly understood, but there is growing evidence that alterations in fat cell function may directly or indirectly contribute to the development of these unfavorable health hazards.
Additional chapters from this book:
Adipose Tissue Pathology in Human Obesity
Hans Hauner, Thomas Skurk
Human obesity is characterized by an excess of adipose tissue mass that has potential adverse health consequences and may finally result in a reduced quality of life and life expectancy.
White Adipose Tissue as a Secretory and Endocrine Organ:Leptin and Other Secreted Proteins
Paul Trayhurn, Nigel Hoggard, D. Vernon Rayner
We are currently undergoing a revolution in our perspectives on the physiological role of white adipose tissue (WAT). Traditionally, white fat has been viewed primarily as a longterm energy...
Heterogeneity of Adipose Tissue Metabolism
Michael Boschmann
Adipose tissue is a highly specialized organ dealing mainly with processes for storage and release of energy. The underlying metabolic routes of these processes are regulated by a complex netw...
Central Nervous System Innervation of White Adipose Tissue
Timothy J. Bartness, Gregory E. Demas, C. Kay Song
The incessant demand for energy by tissues, especially the central nervous system (CNS), is a challenge that must be met for normal physiological functioning and behavior to occur. This is an ...
Central Nervous System Innervation of Brown Adipose Tissue
Timothy J. Bartness, C. Kay Song, Gregory E. Demas
Environmental factors such as ambient temperature and food availability can affect the survival and reproductive success of animals. This is especially important for small rodents with their i...
Brown Adipocyte Differentiation and Function in Energy Metabolism
Susanne Klaus
Brown adipose tissue (BAT) is a specialized thermogenic adipose tissue with greatimportance for thermoregulation and cold defense of small mammals. As outlined in the previous chapter, the ...
Brown Adipose Tissue: Thermogenic Function and Its Physiological
Susanne Klaus
Brown adipose tissue (BAT) is a specialized form of adipose tissue whose function is opposite to classical white fat function. As a thermogenic tissue it is a site of energy dis...
Development of White Adipose Tissue and Adipocyte Differentiation
Gérard Ailhaud
In humans, the development of white adipose tissue (WAT) occurs to a large extent postnatally and continues throughout life, in contrast to the development of brown adipose tissue (BAT) which ...
Morphology of the Adipose Organ
Saverio Cinti
The white adipose tissue is composed of spherical cells with a diameter ranging from 15 to 150 µm (Fig. 2) in aldehyde-fixed and paraffin or resin embedded specimens.
This enormous...
Overview: Biological Significance of Fat and Adipose Tissues
Susanne Klaus
From a human point of view fat or adipose tissue is nowadays often considered assuperfluous and undesired, especially considering the current "emaciated" beauty ideal of the Western world. Thi...
Development of White Adipose Tissue and Adipocyte Differentiation
Gérard Ailhaud
In humans, the development of white adipose tissue (WAT) occurs to a large extent postnatally and continues throughout life, in contrast to the development of brown adipose tissue (BAT) which ...
Morphology of the Adipose Organ
Saverio Cinti
The adipose organ (Fig. 1) of mammals is composed of two different tissues: white and brown adipose tissues.13 In mammals these tissues are organized in disti...
Overview: Biological Significance of Fat and Adipose Tissues
Susanne Klaus
From a human point of view fat or adipose tissue is nowadays often considered assuperfluous and undesired, especially considering the current "emaciated" beauty ideal of the Western world. Thi...
