UNDERSTANDING OBESITY THROUGH THE LENS OF HUMAN PHYSIOLOGY: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF ITS PREVALENCE AND UNDERLYING MECHANISMS

Abstract

Background: Obesity has become a global health issue, with over 650 million adults in the world having been affected by the epidemic. Besides lifestyle and behavioural factors, a complicated system of physiological mechanisms is involved in its development and maintenance. For the prevention and treatment of the disease, it is important to know these mechanisms.

Objectives: This systematic review aims to analyse the prevailing prevalence of obesity across the world and an in-depth physiology process, start-up and pathophysiology of further developments. The studies look at energy balance, hormones, brain pathways, fat cells and the gut microbiome.

Methods: The primary databases, PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science, were searched systematically on the basis of pre-determined keywords, with the use of the terms connected with obesity and human physiology. The inclusive period was between 2000 and 2024 for English language studies. The keywords-based incarceration concentrated on original articles and systematic reviews concerning physiological factors, which are attributed to human obesity. The articles were chosen based on the PRISMA, and the reliability of the included studies was ensured with the help of quality assessment tools.

Key Findings: One of the significant points that the authors make in the review is the role of hormonal regulators of the appetite, energy metabolism, leptin, ghrelin, insulin and cortisol. The hypothalamus also has important neurophysiological centres that control hunger and satiety. Fat is an organ in itself, which releases pro-inflammatory cytokines and causes systemic inflammation. More than that, dysbiosis of gut microbiota has been linked to alterations in nutrient uptake and metabolic diseases. These physiological pathways are in turn, regulated by genetic and epigenetic mechanisms, both of which add more layers of personal vulnerability.

Conclusion: Obesity is a multifactorial, multidimensional and human-physiological disease. The efficacy of treatment methods and clinical community health programs could be enhanced by taking into account their physiological basis as well as the lifestyle changes.