This book presents a comprehensive survey of adipose tissue, its physiological functions, and its role in disease. The volume spans the entire range of adipose tissue studies, from basic anatomical and physiological research to epidemiology and clinical studies. Groundbreaking recent studies are incorporated into traditional models of adipose tissue properties. A description of the role of macrophages in obesity and metabolism in included.

This timely and most comprehensive reference available on the topic covers all the different aspects vital in the fight against the global obesity epidemic. Following a look at adipose tissue development and morphology, the authors go on to examine its metabolic and endocrine functions and its role in disease. The final section deals with comparative and evolutionary aspects of the tissue. The result is an essential resource for cell and molecular biologists, physiologists, biochemists, pharmacologists, and those working in the pharmaceutical industry.

The American Obesity Association identifies obesity's link to numerous medical conditions, including hypertension, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, several cancers, and a host of inflammatory disorders. Evidence indicates that inflammation has more than a corollary relation with obesity; that in fact, obesity itself manifests a low-grade, m

Genomic and Precision Medicine: Primary Care, Third Edition is an invaluable resource on the state-of-the-art tools, technologies and policy issues that are required to fully realize personalized health care in the area of primary care. One of the major areas where genomic and personalized medicine is most active is the realm of the primary care practitioner. Risk, family history, personal genomics and pharmacogenomics are becoming increasingly important to the PCP and their patients, and this book discusses the implications as they relate to primary care practitioners. Presents a comprehensive volume for primary care providers Provides succinct commentary and key learning points that will assist providers with their local needs for the implementation of genomic and personalized medicine Includes a current overview on major opportunities for genomic and personalized medicine in practice Highlights case studies that illustrate the practical use of genomics in the management in patients

Nearly one out of every three adults in America is obese and tens of millions of people in the United States are dieting at any one time. This has resulted in a weight-loss industry worth billions of dollars a year and growing. What are the long-term results of weight-loss programs? How can people sort through the many programs available and select one that is right for them? Weighing the Options strives to answer these questions. Despite widespread public concern about weight, few studies have examined the long-term results of weight-loss programs. One reason that evaluating obesity management is difficult is that no other treatment depends so much on an individual's own initiative and state of mind. Now, a distinguished group of experts assembled by the Institute of Medicine addresses this compelling issue. Weighing the Options presents criteria for evaluating treatment programs for obesity and explores what these criteria meanâ€"to health care providers, program designers, researchers, and even overweight people seeking help. In presenting its criteria the authors offer a wealth of information about weight loss: how obesity is on the rise, what types of weight-loss programs are available, how to define obesity, how well we maintain weight loss, and what approaches and practices appear to be most successful. Information about weight-loss programsâ€"their clients, staff qualifications, services, and success ratesâ€"necessary to make wise program choices is discussed in detail. The book examines how client demographics and characteristicsâ€"including health status, knowledge of weight-loss issues, and attitude toward weight and body imageâ€"affect which programs clients choose, how successful they are likely to be with their choices, and what this means for outcome measurement. Short- and long-term safety consequences of weight loss are discussed as well as clinical assessment of individual patients. The authors document the health risks of being overweight, summarizing data indicating that even a small weight loss reduces the risk of disease and depression and increases self-esteem. At the same time, weight loss has been associated with some poor outcomes, and the book discusses the implications for program evaluation. Prevention can be even more important than treatment. In Weighing the Options, programs for population groups, efforts targeted to specific groups at high risk for obesity, and prevention of further weight gain in obese individuals get special attention. This book provides detailed guidance on how the weight-loss industry can improve its programs to help people be more successful at long-term weight loss. And it provides consumers with tips on selecting a program that will improve their chances of permanently losing excess weight.

Adipose tissue, a kind of connective tissue, plays different and significant roles in the human body. Its function includes protection against environmental factors, storage of lipids and triacylglycerol, and the process of thermogenesis. It is also involved in the secretion of highly active biomolecules such as steroid hormones, prostaglandins, as well as proteins called “adipokines.” On the other hand, disturbances in functions of adipose tissue may cause several pathologies such as obesity and insulin resistance. Obesity is a worldwide health problem, whereas diabetes mellitus due to insulin resistance is defined by the World Health Organization as “a progressive worldwide epidemic.” Especially dangerous is visceral accumulation of adipose tissue.This book describes a series of up-to-date topics about physiological and pathological processes in adipose tissue.

The main focus of this book is on brown adipose tissue and its metabolic function. The book provides a timely update on the latest research and shows where the field is heading. Brown adipose tissue (BAT) dissipates energy and has received considerable attention in the last few years, having been re-discovered in adult humans in 2007/9. Moreover, BAT might offer a target for novel therapies to address obesity, a health condition that has reached pandemic dimensions.