Finding solutions for a modern epidemic
Obesity is a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on health. Body mass index (BMI) defines people as overweight (pre-obese) when their BMI is between 25 kg/m2 and 30 kg/m2, and obese when it is greater than 30 kg/m2.
The number of obese individuals in Europe has increased dramatically over the last decades. Obesity is invariably associated with complications such as
Diabetes mellitus — often simply referred to as diabetes —is a condition in which a person has a high blood sugar (glucose) level, because the body doesn't produce enough insulin and/or because body cells don't properly respond to the insulin that is produced.
type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) and
Atherosclerosis is the condition in which an artery wall thickens as the result of a build-up of materials such as cholesterol and the stenosis of the artery, eventually leading to heart attacks, strokes and serious organ failure.
atherosclerosis,
The Seventh Framework Programme for research and technological development (FP7) is the European Union´s chief instrument for funding research over the period 2007 to 2013. The Programme has a total budget of over € 50 billion.
both provoking heart attacks, stroke and kidney failure. In order to develop strategies aimed at reducing the occurrence and severity of obesity-associated disorders, TOBI – Targeting Obesity-driven Inflammation - has been launched in January 2008. It was one of the first projects being approved by the European Commission within the 7th Framework Programme. This project runs for 36 months with a maximal EU funding of EUR 2.98 million.
