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Ten Putative Contributors to the Obesity Epidemic
Open accessAbstract
The obesity epidemic is a global issue and shows no signs of abating, while the cause of this epidemic remains unclear. Marketing practices of energy-dense foods and institutionally-driven declines in physical activity are the alleged perpetrators for the epidemic, despite a lack of solid evidence to demonstrate their causal role. While both may contribute to obesity, we call attention to their unquestioned dominance in program funding and public efforts to reduce obesity, and propose several alternative putative contributors that would benefit from equal consideration and attention. Evidence for microorganisms, epigenetics, increasing maternal age, greater fecundity among people with higher adiposity, assortative mating, sleep debt, endocrine disruptors, pharmaceutical iatrogenesis, reduction in variability of ambient temperatures, and intrauterine and intergenerational effects as contributing factors to the obesity epidemic are reviewed herein. While the evidence is strong for some contributors such as pharmaceutical-induced weight gain, it is still emerging for other reviewed factors. Considering the role of such putative etiological factors of obesity may lead to comprehensive, cause specific, and effective strategies for prevention and treatment of this global epidemic.
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“These factors do not require overeating or physical inactivity to explain excess weight88–90.”
From Joint international consensus statement for ending stigma of obesity (2020) · cites this paper as [90]
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“Obese individuals tend to under-report their dietary intake (42 -45) , but whether the type of under-reporting in the present study is selective under-reporting of certain foods or general under-reporting of all foods is difficult to determine.”
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Metadata
- Authors
- McAllister, E. J., Dhurandhar, N. V., Keith, S. W., Aronne, L. J., Barger, J., Baskin, M., Benca, R. M., Biggio, J., Boggiano, M. M., Eisenmann, J. C., Elobeid, M., Fontaine, K. R., Gluckman, P., Hanlon, E. C., Katzmarzyk, P., Pietrobelli, A., Redden, D. T., Ruden, D. M., Wang, C., Waterland, R. A., Wright, S. M., & Allison, D. B.
- Affiliations
- Pennington Biomedical Research Center (US)
- Thomas Jefferson University (US)
- Cornell University (US)
- University of Wisconsin System (US)
- University of Alabama at Birmingham (US)
- University of Wisconsin–Madison (US)
- j Department of Kinesiology , Michigan State University , East Lansing, MI, USA
- Johns Hopkins University (US)
- University of Auckland (NZ)
- University of Verona (IT)
- Wayne State University (US)
- University of Louisville (US)
- Baylor College of Medicine (US)
- ORCID
- Venue
- Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2009-12-02
- Volume
- 49
- Issue
- 10
- Pages
- 868-913
- ISSN
- 1040-8398 (ISSN-L)
- 1549-7852
- PMC
- PMC2932668
- OpenAlex
- W2131543898
- Cited by
- 710
- References
- 502
- Citations by year
- 2026: 13 · 2025: 23 · 2024: 16 · 2023: 35 · 2022: 46 · 2021: 52 · 2020: 49 · 2019: 35 · 2018: 46 · 2017: 48 · 2016: 47 · 2015: 62 · 2014: 52 · 2013: 58 · 2012: 62
- FWCI
- 43.03
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institutes of Health (5r01dk066164-05)
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (T32HL079888)
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (R-01 DK066164, 1R01-DK066164, P30DK056336)
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (R01ES012933)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Endocrine and Autonomic Systems › Regulation of Appetite and Obesity
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Obesity and Health Practices
- Keywords
- obesity epidemic, obesity etiology, physical activity decline, gut microbiota, epigenetics, maternal age, fecundity, assortative mating, sleep debt, endocrine disruptors, intergenerational effects, obesity prevention
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Humans, Obesity, Causality
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