ABSTRACT

Obesity is a major health problem in modern societies, with a prevalence of up to 25% in Western societies and an increasing incidence in children [1]. Obesity, plus the associated insulin resistance [2, 3], is also considered a contributor to the major causes of death in the United States and is an important risk factor for type 2 diabetes (T2D), cardiovascular diseases (CVD), hypertension, and other chronic diseases.