Definition and research guide
This page combines a MeSH definition, publication statistics and selected research abstracts. It is a starting point for reading the literature, not a medical textbook or a systematic evidence review.
Content available: 3 complete abstracts (608 words), 9 references. Full article text is not stored or reproduced here; follow the PMID, DOI or PMC links to read the original sources and their access terms.
Definition
A status with body weight that is above certain standards. In the scale of body mass index, overweight is defined as having a BMI of 25.0-29.9 kg/m2. Overweight may or may not be due to increases in body fat (adipose tissue), hence overweight does not equal over fat.
Definition: NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) scope note (Public domain (U.S. National Library of Medicine); attribution requested). View the MeSH record.
Where it fits in the MeSH classification
- Broader topics
- Overnutrition; Body Weight
- Narrower topics
- Obesity
Related concepts
Research landscape
PubMed indexes 313,655 records tagged with the MeSH heading “Overweight” (counts retrieved 2026-10-31). 90,897 of them (29.0%) were published from 2020 onward, and the busiest period so far is 2010-2019 with 124,494 records.
Reviews account for 51,545 records (16.4%) and meta-analyses for 5,953. Randomized controlled trials number 17,148 (5.5%) as a share of all records on the topic.
Show the data
| Period | Records |
|---|---|
| through 1999 | 41,342 |
| 2000-2009 | 56,922 |
| 2010-2019 | 124,494 |
| 2020 onward | 90,897 |
Publication-type chart data
| Type | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews | 51,545 | 16.4% |
| Meta-analyses | 5,953 | 1.9% |
| Randomized controlled trials | 17,148 | 5.5% |
Method: PubMed query "Overweight"[MeSH Terms] with publication-type and date filters, retrieved 2026-10-31.
Reading the evidence in anatomy and physiology
Anatomy describes how body structures are built and physiology describes how they normally work, so most findings here are descriptive or mechanistic rather than evidence about treatment. Much of what is known comes from dissection, imaging, tissue studies and experiments in animals, and measurements in healthy volunteers can differ from those in people with disease or at different ages. Normal ranges vary between individuals and populations. Check whether a result was measured in people or in another species, the age and health of the participants, and the method used.
Evidence from open-access studies
These open-access studies come from PubMed’s best-match results for this heading (papers whose main topic it is), ranked here by citation count, with one recent addition. Each abstract is reproduced in full under its recorded open licence so that you can read the authors’ own words. They illustrate the literature; they are not a systematic summary of it. Citation counts measure attention, not reliability or clinical benefit.
| Study / authors | Year | Source label / design | Europe PMC citations | Licence / source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Factors Associated With Weight Management Referral Acceptance and Uptake in Kidney Transplant Candidates | 2026 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 1 | cc by PMID 42665576 · DOI · PMC13525081 |
| Melanocortin Receptor Signaling Modulates Anti-Obesity and Glucose Tolerance Effects of Hafnia alvei 4597 Probiotic Strain in Mice | 2026 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 1 | cc by PMID 42589617 · DOI · PMC13467215 |
| Intestinal fructose catabolism promotes obesity and insulin resistance via ileal lacteal remodeling | 2026 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 1 | cc by PMID 42664326 · DOI · PMC13524015 |
Factors Associated With Weight Management Referral Acceptance and Uptake in Kidney Transplant Candidates [1]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- IntroductionObesity is a significant barrier to kidney transplantation (KT).
- Closing excerpt
- WMPs integrated within KT programs may overcome barriers to establishing care with WMPs.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (244 words)
IntroductionObesity is a significant barrier to kidney transplantation (KT). KT candidates with obesity are often referred to weight management programs (WMP) but patients' acceptance for WMP referral and their subsequent follow-through are unknown.Design and methodsUsing a single-center study, we evaluated the effectiveness of referrals to medical or surgical WMPs among KT candidates to initiate obesity care. We examined factors associated with patients establishing care and any effects of referral acceptance on BMI, KT waitlisting and transplantation.ResultsThe median age was 57 years, 49% were male, 56% were White, 79% were on dialysis, and 53% were from high social disadvantage areas. Thirty patients (50.8%) accepted WMP referral but only 9 (15.3%) contacted WMP. Patients accepting referral had higher BMI [median 47 vs. 45; p = 0.002] and resided closer to the KT center [20 vs. 48 miles; p = 0.010]. In multivariable models, referral acceptance decreased 2% with each mile away from KT center (OR 0.98; 95%CI: 0.96-1.00) and increased by 22% with every 1 unit increase in BMI (OR 1.22, 95%CI: 1.03-1.45). Among patients accepting referral, every 1-year increase in age reduced odds of contacting WMP by 17% (OR 0.83, 95%CI: 0.74-0.96).ConclusionA large share of KT candidates with obesity do not establish care with WMPs. Increasing age and distance to KT center were contributing factors to low referral acceptance and engagement. Efforts aimed at obesity management in KT should consider these barriers. WMPs integrated within KT programs may overcome barriers to establishing care with WMPs.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 42665576 · DOI · PMC13525081
Melanocortin Receptor Signaling Modulates Anti-Obesity and Glucose Tolerance Effects of Hafnia alvei 4597 Probiotic Strain in Mice [2]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- The present study aimed to elucidate whether the metabolic effects of the probiotic bacterium Hafnia alvei 4597 depend on melanocortin receptor (MCR) signaling.
- Closing excerpt
- alvei are mediated by MCR signaling.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (216 words)
The present study aimed to elucidate whether the metabolic effects of the probiotic bacterium Hafnia alvei 4597 depend on melanocortin receptor (MCR) signaling. The response to a 3-week intragastric treatment with the H. alvei bacterial suspension or total protein extract was compared between genetically similar mouse sub-strains but with different MCR sensitivity: KK and KK.Cg-Ay/a (KK-Ay)-the latter overproducing Agouti protein. Treatment of KK mice with H. alvei protein extract stimulated energy expenditure and carbohydrate oxidation but reduced lipid oxidation, leptin level, pancreatic weight, and hypothalamic insulin and leptin receptor mRNA expression. Live bacteria in KK mice reduced food intake and stimulated hypothalamic mRNA expression of proopiomelanocortin, Agouti-related peptide, and insulin receptors. In the sub-strain KK-Ay, probiotics had no effect on the aforementioned metabolic parameters. H. alvei-based probiotics improved glucose tolerance and decreased body fat and liver glycogen in both mouse sub-strains. Activation of MC4R by H. alvei protein extract was revealed by in vitro study using β-arrestin recruitment. These findings confirm beneficial effects of the H. alvei bacteria and show that, for several parameters, the bacterial protein extract may be more effective than bacterial suspension. Differential responses to the treatment between the mouse sub-strains, particularly in energy metabolism, as well as in vitro data, indicate that the effects of H. alvei are mediated by MCR signaling.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 42589617 · DOI · PMC13467215
Intestinal fructose catabolism promotes obesity and insulin resistance via ileal lacteal remodeling [3]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) consumption is a risk factor for obesity and diabetes, yet the underlying mechanisms, especially at the specific organ level, are incompletely understood.
- Closing excerpt
- It may also be relevant to the clinical evidence that pharmacologic suppression of fructose catabolism mitigates diet-induced obesity.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (148 words)
High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) consumption is a risk factor for obesity and diabetes, yet the underlying mechanisms, especially at the specific organ level, are incompletely understood. Catabolism of dietary fructose primarily occurs in the small intestine and liver, with fructose breakdown in the liver being pathological, while small intestinal fructose clearance protects the liver. Here, we report that inhibition of fructose catabolism specifically in the murine small intestine unexpectedly mitigates fructose-induced obesity and insulin resistance. Such phenotypes are attributed to decreased dietary fat absorption by the shortening of ileal lacteals. Fecal transplantation experiments revealed that the microbiome altered by blunted host intestinal fructose catabolism decreases ileal macrophages essential for lacteal growth. Thus, altered intestinal lacteal architecture likely contributes to the synergistic effects of high fat and sugar on metabolic disorders. It may also be relevant to the clinical evidence that pharmacologic suppression of fructose catabolism mitigates diet-induced obesity.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 42664326 · DOI · PMC13524015
Key reviews and meta-analyses
The most cited review-type papers among PubMed’s best-match results for this heading, listed with bibliographic details only. Follow the links for the full text and access terms.
- Research article Weight regain after cessation of medication for weight management: systematic review and meta-analysis [4]
- Research article A systematic review and meta-analysis of the efficacy and safety of pharmacological treatments for obesity in adults [5]
- Research article Gastrointestinal adverse events associated with GLP-1 RA in non-diabetic patients with overweight or obesity: a systematic review and network meta-analysis [6]
- Research article Efficacy and Safety of GLP-1 RAs in Children and Adolescents With Obesity or Type 2 Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis [7]
- Research article Heterogeneity of Treatment Effects of Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists for Weight Loss in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis [8]
- Research article Effect of GLP-1 receptor agonists and co-agonists on atrial fibrillation risk in overweight or obesity: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials [9]
References
- Lavenburg LM, Morford H, Stark S, Kamat S, Mendoza MS, Molinari M, et al.. Factors Associated With Weight Management Referral Acceptance and Uptake in Kidney Transplant Candidates. . 2026. PMID 42665576 · DOI · PMC13525081
- Zolotarev VA, Murovets VO, Sozontov EA, Sepp AL, Lukina EA, Khropycheva RP, et al.. Melanocortin Receptor Signaling Modulates Anti-Obesity and Glucose Tolerance Effects of Hafnia alvei 4597 Probiotic Strain in Mice. . 2026. PMID 42589617 · DOI · PMC13467215
- Lopez ML, Kang T, Espeleta AM, Rubtsova VI, Baek J, Songcuan J, et al.. Intestinal fructose catabolism promotes obesity and insulin resistance via ileal lacteal remodeling. . 2026. PMID 42664326 · DOI · PMC13524015
- West S, Scragg J, Aveyard P, Oke JL, Willis L, Haffner SJP, et al.. Weight regain after cessation of medication for weight management: systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ. 2026. PMID 41500720 · DOI · PMC12776922
- McGowan B, Ciudin A, Baker JL, Busetto L, Dicker D, Frühbeck G, et al.. A systematic review and meta-analysis of the efficacy and safety of pharmacological treatments for obesity in adults. Nat Med. 2025. PMID 41039116 · DOI · PMC12532627
- Ismaiel A, Scarlata GGM, Boitos I, Leucuta DC, Popa SL, Al Srouji N, et al.. Gastrointestinal adverse events associated with GLP-1 RA in non-diabetic patients with overweight or obesity: a systematic review and network meta-analysis. Int J Obes (Lond). 2025. PMID 40804463 · DOI · PMC12532569
- Kotecha P, Huang W, Yeh YY, Narvaez VM, Adirika D, Tang H, et al.. Efficacy and Safety of GLP-1 RAs in Children and Adolescents With Obesity or Type 2 Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. JAMA Pediatr. 2025. PMID 40952752 · DOI · PMC12439189
- Alexander GC, Xiao X, Dilek S, Lewis S, Deng Q, Kim M, et al.. Heterogeneity of Treatment Effects of Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists for Weight Loss in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. JAMA Intern Med. 2026. PMID 41770554 · DOI
- Karakasis P, Vlachos K, Antoniadis AP, Siontis KC, Patoulias D, Fragakis N, et al.. Effect of GLP-1 receptor agonists and co-agonists on atrial fibrillation risk in overweight or obesity: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Metabolism. 2026. PMID 41349790 · DOI
About this article
- Sources
- NLM Medical Subject Headings (definition, synonyms); NCBI PubMed (counts, identifiers); Europe PMC (open-access abstracts and citation counts).
- Verification
- Every reference was resolved against PubMed on 2026-10-31; title, year and DOI matched.
- Review state
- automated source verified; no human expert review has been recorded yet.
- Version
- 1, last updated 2026-10-31.
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Evidence strength
EvidenceHelix's computed view of the study designs behind this topic: how common meta-analyses, randomized trials and reviews are, how recent the literature is, and a plain-language reading. It describes the design mix of the literature. It is not a quality appraisal of any study, and it is not medical advice.