Obesity-Related Risk Factors for Type 2 Diabetes
Summary
Obesity is the principal modifiable determinant of type 2 diabetes risk, driven chiefly by excess adiposity and its metabolic sequelae. Central accumulation of visceral fat impairs insulin signalling through lipotoxicity, low‐grade inflammation and altered adipokine profiles. Ectopic lipid deposition in liver and skeletal muscle further exacerbates insulin resistance, while dysfunctional β-cell response ultimately precipitates overt hyperglycaemia. Both overall obesity and regional fat distribution contribute to risk stratification, with measures of central adiposity proving especially informative. Emerging evidence emphasises the importance of novel anthropometric indices beyond body mass index alone, linking specific patterns of adipose tissue expansion to glycaemic dysregulation. Globally, rising obesity prevalence underpins an escalating burden of type 2 diabetes, with substantial implications for cardiovascular health, health‐care systems and preventive strategies.
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Obesity-Related Risk Factors for Type 2 Diabetes publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in obesity-related risk factors for type 2 diabetes across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Body mass index (BMI): overall adiposity metric calculated as weight (kg) divided by height (m) squared.
Waist circumference (WC): measure of central adiposity taken at the midpoint between the lower rib and iliac crest.
Waist-to-hip ratio (WHR): ratio of waist circumference to hip circumference, indicating fat distribution.
Waist-to-height ratio (WHtR): ratio of waist circumference to height, reflecting abdominal fat relative to stature.
A body shape index (ABSI): composite metric adjusting waist circumference for height and weight.
Body roundness index (BRI): anthropometric index modelling body shape as an ellipse to estimate body fat percentage.
Visceral adiposity index (VAI): gender-specific index combining waist circumference, BMI and lipid parameters to estimate visceral fat function.
Waist-corrected BMI (wBMI): BMI adjusted for waist circumference to integrate central adiposity into overall weight index.
References
- Novel anthropometric indices for predicting type 2 diabetes mellitus. BMC Public Health (2024).
- Associations between anthropometric indices as complementary predictors and incidence of type 2 diabetes; Panasonic Cohort Study 21. Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice (2024).
- Long-Term Risk of Incident Type 2 Diabetes and Measures of Overall and Regional Obesity: The EPIC-InterAct Case-Cohort Study. PLOS Medicine (2012).
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