Obesity is a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on health, leading to reduced life expectancy and/or increased health problems. Body mass index (BMI), a measurement which compares weight (Human weight) and height, defines people as overweight (pre-obese) (overweight) when their BMI is between 25 kg/m2 and 30 kg/m2, and obese when it is greater than 30 kg/m2.

Obesity increases the likelihood of various diseases (Obesity associated morbidity), particularly heart disease (cardiovascular diseases), type 2 diabetes (diabetes mellitus type 2), breathing difficulties during sleep (obstructive sleep apnea), certain types of cancer, and osteoarthritis. Obesity is most commonly caused by a combination of excessive dietary calories (Food energy), lack of physical activity, and genetic susceptibility (Polygenic inheritance), although a few cases are caused solely by genes, endocrine disorders, medications or psychiatric illness. Evidence to support the view that some obese people eat little yet gain weight due to a slow metabolism is limited; on average obese people have a greater energy expenditure than their thin counterparts due to the energy required to maintain an increased body mass.

The primary treatment for obesity is dieting and physical exercise. To supplement this, or in case of failure, anti-obesity drugs may be taken to reduce appetite or inhibit fat absorption. In severe cases, surgery (bariatric surgery) is performed or an intragastric balloon is placed to reduce stomach volume and/or bowel length, leading to earlier satiation and reduced ability to absorb nutrients from food.

Obesity is a leading preventable cause of death (preventable causes of death) worldwide, with increasing prevalence in adults and children (childhood obesity), and authorities view it as one of the most serious public health problems of the 21st century. Obesity is stigmatized (Social stigma) in the modern Western world, though it has been perceived as a symbol of wealth and fertility at other times in history, and still is in many parts of Africa.