editorials June 01, 2015 June 01, 2015

How challenging is to establish parameters good enough to assess the repercussions of trials to fight obesity

DOI: 10.1590/2359-3997000000036

Obesity is presently becoming one of the great scourges in modern societies, particularly in those living in most developed countries. And even in these places, the most developed regions are particularly more affected. On the other hand, the therapeutic and nutritional procedures used to correct disturbances of nutrition, such as those due to low calorie or protein-calorie intake, which occurs in impoverished places can potentially lead to future outcomes to body weight control resulting in obesity ().

Of course, the adipose tissue which is the central subject of the obesity studies, due to its well-known metabolic and endocrine capacities has been classified as an organ, the adipose organ (). Among its multiple functions, its ability to synthesize and secrete almost a hundred distinct biologically active substances, some of them classified as proteins and called adipokines () and some other of lipidic nature and called lipokines (), I will focus on two of them, leptin and adiponectin. Both are produced almost exclusively in the adipose tissue. The first one has importance as a hormone that acts to regulate appetite and body weight () and the second one is well-known for its insulin-like and anti-inflammatory properties ().

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