Role of Overweight and Obesity in Gastrointestinal Disease

• Main Authors: Sara Emerenziani, Michele Pier Luca Guarino, Laura Maria Trillo Asensio, Annamaria Altomare, Mentore Ribolsi, Paola Balestrieri, Michele Cicala
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2019-12-01
• Series: Nutrients
• Subjects: overweight and obesity; functional gastrointestinal disorders (fgids); visceral hypersensitivity; gastrointestinal motility; cancer
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/12/1/111

The prevalence of obesity is increasing worldwide, leading to a severe impairment of overall health. Actually, obesity has been associated with several pathological conditions, causing an excess overall mortality. In particular, overweight and obesity are well known risk factors for a variety of gastrointestinal (GI) disorders i.e., functional GI disorders as well as, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), pancreatitis, and GI cancer. The aim of the present review is to summarize the potential role of overweight and obesity in GI disease with particular focus on plausible biological mechanisms that could explain the association between obesity and GI disease based on the most recent evidence in the literature.