obesity

noun

obe·​si·​ty ō-ˈbē-sə-tē 

: a condition characterized by the excessive accumulation and storage of fat in the body

Obesity affects not just appearance, but disease processes as well.

—Malorye Allison

Synonyms

• adiposity
• chubbiness
• corpulence
• corpulency
• embonpoint
• fat
• fatness
• fattiness
• fleshiness
• grossness
• plumpness
• portliness
• pudginess
• pursiness
• rotundity
• weight

Examples of obesity in a Sentence

obesity has been linked to a number of health risks, such as heart disease

Recent Examples on the Web

Studies have also shown concerns around insulin sensitivity and diabetes, obesity and fertility, Bloom said. —Madeline Holcombe, CNN, 29 Oct. 2024

Stroke prevention is the same as cardiovascular risk reduction, which includes paying attention to and modifying risk factors, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and obesity, as well as avoiding smoking and working on a healthy lifestyle. —Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 29 Oct. 2024

Sleep deprivation is linked to heart disease, cognitive decline, obesity and numerous other problems. —Associated Press, TIME, 27 Oct. 2024

Diabetes and obesity are increasingly looking like the tip of the semaglutide iceberg. —Owen Tripp, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French obesité, borrowed from Latin obēsitāt-, obēsitās, from obēsus "fat, stout" + -itāt-, -itās -ity — more at obese

First Known Use

circa 1611, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing obesity

• anti-obesity

Medical Definition

obesity

noun

obe·​si·​ty ō-ˈbē-sət-ē 

plural obesities

: a condition that is characterized by excessive accumulation and storage of fat in the body and that in an adult is typically indicated by a body mass index of 30 or greater