ABSTRACT
The rising prevalence of obesity among children and adults is one of the most significant threats to our nation’s health in the twenty-first century. According to the Surgeon General’s Call to Action [1], obesity resulting from an unhealthy diet and physical inactivity is a major cause of preventable death which now accounts for approximately 400,000 deaths per year [2]. Among a multitude of disorders associated with obesity is the rising prevalence of type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and other cardiovascular risk factors. Although the correlation between obesity and cardiovascular risk has been known for decades, recent clinical observation and basic research studies have helped to further explain this association. Emerging from this research is the central role of abdominal adipose tissue and the adipocyte.
