The evolution of obesity and the origin of adipose tissue

Abstract

Obesity is a well-established definition of the disorder in which the net energy balance between energy intake and energy expenditure is disturbed, characterized by overeating and lack of physical activity. Obesity is also a disease of civilization, and as with many other diseases of civilization, the root cause is not convergent features arising from individual biological structure. The basic disorder is the maladaptation of the body adapted for the environment millions of years ago, to the rapidly changing conditions of today's civilization. Since the Industrial Revolution in 1850, mechanization, technological advances, digitization and groundbreaking innovations in information have created an unprecedented change in the lifestyle of the human species compared to previous ages. On the one hand, these developments have laid the foundation for a lack of physical activity that has made us independent of labor power. On the other hand, developments in food production, distribution and marketing networks have led to changes in eating habits and dietary patterns that have resulted in overeating. As a result, today's man has been born into an obesogenic niche characterized by a sedentary life characterized by less energy expenditure and more energy intake, and endless feasting. The global prevalence of obesity has increased in such a short time that it cannot be explained by genetic reasons. Biological/genetic features are only a small part of obesity pandemic. Therefore, ignoring the environment one is born into and the evolutionary relationships between the environment and the organism is not a rational approach to find the solution.

This review argues that obesity is a maladaptation resulting from the interaction of the psychological, behavioral, social, and economic components of obesity and the obesogenic environment with ancient evolutionary drivers determined by natural selection. It aims to draw attention to the evolutionary journey of adipose tissue and obesity, and to compile explanations for obesity based on evolutionary medicine, in order to be the basis for the clinical approach. It claims that this approach for the prevention and treatment of obesity will have effective clinical results and will provide broad social implications.