Anaesthesia Fundamentals | Physiology | Physiology of Obesity and Effects on Organ Systems

Physiology of Obesity and Effects on Organ Systems
Session Overview
Description
This session will enable you to understand the pathogenesis of obesity and its effects on various organ systems.

Learning Objectives
By the end of this session you will be able to:

• Describe the pathways involved in the regulation of appetite and fat metabolism
• Identify the differences between the physiology of obese and non-obese individuals
• Recognise the effects of obesity on the respiratory, cardiovascular and gastrointestinal systems

Prerequisites
Before commencing this session you should complete the following:

• Common Physiological Alterations 1 (001-0695)

Obesity is an epidemic facing society at large.

In the UK:

• 27% of men and women are obese
• 2% of men and 4% of women are mobidly obese

Body mass index (BMI) is widely used to define obesity but waist circumference is more predictive of morbidity.

There has historically been a view that the cause of obesity is over-eating in combination with inadequate exercise. However, this theory is simplistic and the physiology is far more complex than a simple energy balance equation.