ABSTRACT
Obesity is a condition resulting from a chronic imbalance between energy intake and energy expenditure (1,2). Behind this simple observation there is a complex disease involving genetic, environmental, and behavioural factors (3,4). Obesity is strongly correlated with type 2 diabetes mellitus, a common disorder of glucose and lipid metabolism: it often causes insulin resistance, a decline in the ability of insulin to stimulate glucose uptake in the body, which leads to compensatory oversecretion of this hormone by the pancreatic beta-cells and, eventually, to beta-cell exhaustion and development of type 2 diabetes mellitus (2,5). Overconsumption of energy (6), types of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates absorbed (7) and micronutrient deficiencies (8) have been associated with obesity and type 2 diabetes.
