How much of this condition's readable clinical evidence the confidence engine has incorporated, across its most-studied treatments. This measures coverage of the evidence base — not whether any treatment works.

Partial evidence coverage

49% · 113/229 eligible items incorporated

Largest gap: off claim endpoint family (8, endpoint-family).

Regulatory timeline

Drug regulatory events matched to this condition by indication — EMA.

First approvals

2022emaApproval — Tirzepatide· Type 2 diabetes mellitus Mounjaro is indicated for the treatment of adults with insufficiently controlled type 2 diabetes mellitus as an adjunct to diet and exercise as monotherapy when metformin is considered inappropriate due to intolerance or contraindications in addition to other medicinal products for the treatment of diabetes. For study results with respect to combinations, effects on glycaemic control and the populations studied, see sections 4.4, 4.5 and 5.1. Weight management Mounjaro is indicated as an adjunct to a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity for weight management, including weight loss and weight maintenance, in adults with an initial Body Mass Index (BMI) of ≥ 30 kg/m2 (obesity) or ≥ 27 kg/m2 to < 30 kg/m2 (overweight) in the presence of at least one weight-related comorbid condition (e.g., hypertension, dyslipidaemia, obstructive sleep apnoea, cardiovascular disease, prediabetes, or type 2 diabetes mellitus). source ↗

2022emaApproval — Semaglutide· Adults Wegovy is indicated as an adjunct to a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity for weight management, including weight loss and weight maintenance, in adults with an initial Body Mass Index (BMI) of ≥30 kg/m2 (obesity), or ≥27 kg/m2 to <30 kg/m2 (overweight) in the presence of at least one weight-related comorbidity e.g. dysglycaemia (prediabetes or type 2 diabetes mellitus), hypertension, dyslipidaemia, obstructive sleep apnoea or cardiovascular disease. For trial results with respect to cardiovascular risk reduction and populations studied, see section 5.1. Adolescents (≥12 years) Wegovy is indicated as an adjunct to a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity for weight management in adolescents ages 12 years and above with obesity* and body weight above 60 kg. Treatment with Wegovy should be discontinued and re-evaluated if adolescent patients have not reduced their BMI by at least 5% after 12 weeks on the 2.4 mg or maximum tolerated dose. *Obesity (BMI ≥95th percentile) as defined on sex- and age-specific BMI growth charts (CDC.gov) (see Table 1 in 4.1 of SmPC). Table 1 BMI cut-off points for obesity (≥95th percentile) by sex and age for paediatric patients aged 12 and older (CDC criteria) source ↗

2021emaApproval — Setmelanotide· Imcivree is indicated for the treatment of obesity and the control of hunger in adults and children 4 years of age and above with acquired hypothalamic obesity (aHO) due to hypothalamic injury or impairment.  Imcivree is indicated for the treatment of obesity and the control of hunger associated with genetically confirmed Bardet Biedl syndrome (BBS) in adults and children 2 years of age and above.  Imcivree is indicated for the treatment of obesity and the control of hunger associated with genetically confirmed loss-of-function biallelic pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC), including PCSK1, deficiency or biallelic leptin receptor (LEPR) deficiency in adults and children 2 years of age and above.  source ↗

2015emaApproval — Liraglutide· Saxenda is indicated as an adjunct to a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity for weight management in adult patients with an initial Body Mass Index (BMI) of • ≥ 30 kg/m² (obese), or• ≥ 27 kg/m² to < 30 kg/m² (overweight) in the presence of at least one weight-related comorbidity such as dysglycaemia (pre-diabetes or type 2 diabetes mellitus), hypertension, dyslipidaemia or obstructive sleep apnoea. Treatment with Saxenda should be discontinued after 12 weeks on the 3.0 mg/day dose if patients have not lost at least 5% of their initial body weight. Adolescents (≥12 years) Saxenda can be used as an adjunct to a healthy nutrition and increased physical activity for weight management in adolescent patients from the age of 12 years and above with: obesity (BMI corresponding to ≥30 kg/m2 for adults by international cut-off points)* and body weight above 60 kg. Treatment with Saxenda should be discontinued and re-evaluated if patients have not lost at least 4% of their BMI or BMI z score after 12 weeks on the 3.0 mg/day or maximum tolerated dose. *IOTF BMI cut-off points for obesity by sex between 12-18 years, in accordance with study design of the Trial 4180, see section 5.1. Children (6 to <12 years)Saxenda is indicated as an adjunct to healthy nutrition and increased physical activity for weight management in children from the age of 6 to <12 years with - obesity (BMI ≥95th percentile)* and- body weight ≥45 kgTreatment with Saxenda should be discontinued and re-evaluated if patients have not lost at least 4% of their BMI or BMI z score after 12 weeks on the 3.0 mg/day or maximum tolerated dose. *CDC BMI cut-off points for obesity (≥95th percentile) by sex between 6 to <12 years, in accordance with study design of the Trial 4392, see section 5.1. source ↗

European Medicines Agency (CC BY 4.0). Events are matched to this condition by drug indication text — approvals/updates for drugs indicated for it, not disease-specific acts.

Research activity

370 papers

Key research shaping understanding of this disease, combining the latest publications with the most influential evidence.

Publications over time

20152026

Most influential

An obesity-associated gut microbiome with increased capacity for energy harvest.

Nature · 2006 · 8,666 cites

Microbial ecology: human gut microbes associated with obesity.

Nature · 2006 · 6,299 cites

A core gut microbiome in obese and lean twins.

Nature · 2009 · 5,615 cites

Chronic inflammation in fat plays a crucial role in the development of obesity-related insulin resistance.

The Journal of clinical investigation · 2003 · 4,951 cites

The diagnosis and management of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: Practice guidance from the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.

Hepatology (Baltimore, Md.) · 2018 · 4,880 cites

Obesity induces a phenotypic switch in adipose tissue macrophage polarization.

The Journal of clinical investigation · 2007 · 3,500 cites

Recent publications

Bimagrumab plus semaglutide alone or in combination for the treatment of obesity: a randomized phase 2 trial.

Nature medicine · 2026 · 10 cites

Glucagon-like receptor agonists and next-generation incretin-based medications: metabolic, cardiovascular, and renal benefits.

Lancet (London, England) · 2026 · 9 cites

The science of safety: adverse effects of GLP-1 receptor agonists as glucose-lowering and obesity medications.

The Journal of clinical investigation · 2026 · 6 cites

Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease in Adults: A Review.

JAMA · 2026 · 6 cites

GLP-1 agonists and the gut microbiome: A bidirectional relationship.

British journal of clinical pharmacology · 2026 · 5 cites

Role of endogenous incretin hormones, GLP-1 and GIP, in cardiovascular physiology.

Canadian journal of physiology and pharmacology · 2026 · 1 cites

Major themes8

Obesity96
Diabetes Mellitus, Type 265
Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists44
Insulin Resistance27
Cardiovascular Diseases26
Gastrointestinal Microbiome26
Glucagon-Like Peptide 126
Incretins21

Leading journals6

International journal of molecular sciences19
Nutrients18
Frontiers in endocrinology16
The Journal of clinical investigation15
Molecular metabolism12
Diabetes, obesity & metabolism11

Leading researchers8

Holst JJ9
Drucker DJ7
Li X6
Reimann F6
Zhang Y6
Li Y5
Lingvay I5
Müller TD5

Affiliations (unnormalised)6

School of Medicine12
Imperial College London11
University of Copenhagen10
Department of Clinical Medicine7
Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research7
College of Medicine6

Disease biology

10 matches

Key proteins & gene products studied in this disease. Number shows shared papers.

Gastric Inhibitory Polypeptide29 P4322028 Receptors, Gastrointestinal Hormone16 Cytokines11 Leptin10 Adipokines6 Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled5 Glucagon-Like Peptide-2 Receptor4 Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized3 Fibroblast Growth Factors3

Related conditions

12 matches

Diseases frequently studied alongside this one. Number shows shared papers.

Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2117 Weight Loss64 Insulin Resistance61 Cardiovascular Diseases50 Inflammation45 Diabetes Mellitus32 Metabolic Diseases27 Metabolic Syndrome27 Overweight24 Body Weight22 Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease21 Hypertension15

Disease profile

A grounded synthesis of the condition — overview, causes, mechanism, risk factors and current standard of care.

Overview

Obesity is a state of body weight that is grossly above recommended standards, usually because of excess fat accumulation. In body mass index terms, a BMI greater than 30.0 kg/m2 is considered obese, and a BMI greater than 40.0 kg/m2 is considered morbid obesity. The standards used to define it can vary with age, sex, genetic background, and cultural background.

Causes

The grounding supports obesity as a multifactorial condition rather than a single-cause disease. It is linked to diet, especially high-fat diet, altered energy metabolism, lipid metabolism, gastrointestinal microbiome changes, and genetic factors. The literature also connects obesity with endocrine and metabolic signals involving insulin, glucose, triglycerides, ghrelin, glucagon, leptin, and gastrointestinal hormone receptors.

Pathophysiology

Obesity is associated with altered metabolic regulation and chronic low-level inflammation. The literature highlights interactions among adipokines, cytokines such as interleukin-6, signal transduction pathways, and immune-metabolic crosstalk, as well as changes in lipid metabolism and energy metabolism. Gut-derived mechanisms, including the gastrointestinal microbiome and incretin-related signaling through GLP-1 and glucagon receptors, are also implicated.

Risk factors

Supported risk factors and associated contributors include high-fat diet, dysregulated energy metabolism, altered lipid metabolism, and genetic background. The literature also links obesity with gastrointestinal microbiome changes and with broader metabolic dysfunction. Depression is reported as longitudinally associated with overweight and obesity in the supplied review abstract, but the grounding does not establish it as a causal risk factor.

Current standard of care

The supplied grounding supports treatment at the modality level rather than specific regimens. Obesity literature here includes drug therapy, diet therapy, and broader therapy approaches, with co-studied agents including GLP-1 receptor agonists such as semaglutide and liraglutide, and tirzepatide. The grounding also indicates interest in metabolic management and related complications, but it does not provide enough detail to specify a complete standard-of-care pathway.

AI-generated summary grounded in MeSH and 6 peer-reviewed sources. Informational only — not medical advice. Generated 2026-07-06.

Reference

Authoritative identity, definition & identifiers.

Defined in MeSH

A status with BODY WEIGHT that is grossly above the recommended standards, usually due to accumulation of excess FATS in the body. The standards may vary with age, sex, genetic or cultural background. In the BODY MASS INDEX, a BMI greater than 30.0 kg/m2 is considered obese, and a BMI greater than 40.0 kg/m2 is considered morbidly obese (MORBID OBESITY).

Identifiers

MeSHObesity

References & data sources

Disease identity & definition — NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH), public domain
Clinical trials — ClinicalTrials.gov (U.S. National Library of Medicine)
Research activity — Europe PMC (EMBL-EBI) + OpenAlex-derived paper links
Related entities are derived from literature co-mention (studied together) — associative, not causal.