Global warming and obesity: External heat exposure as a modulator of energy balance

Abstract

In obesity research, the importance of core body temperature (CBT) regulation is often neglected. CBT thermogenic regulation, however, plays a crucial role in heat management through convection, radiation, and conduction processes to remove heat from the body, as well as metabolic processes that sequester heat through lipogenesis. This review emphasizes that even small changes in CBT can significantly impact metabolic events ranging from ATP production to fat deposition. Accordingly, a case is made that physical events, such as external heat exposure, also impact body compositional changes, as do work and metabolic processes. Examples are provided that suggest that independent diet and exercise, where one lives, can have an impact on body composition and obesity. For example, below 35 degrees of the earth's latitude, obesity rates are often 40 percent or greater among adults. However, in regions between 45 and 50 degrees latitude, such as the US-Canadian border, obesity rates are 25%–30%.