Obesity on a Molecular Level: A Review of Pathogenesis and Treatment Approaches

Obesity represents a multifactorial, nuanced, and global public health concern. An individual can be predisposed to obesity owing to the intricate interplay between key genes, the surrounding environment, and personal habits. Nutrigenetics offers insights into how molecular biology and diet intersect. This paper documents the reported direct and indirect effects of genes, hormones, and receptors involved in metabolic regulation, including fat mass and obesity-associated gene, melanocortin 4 receptor, ghrelin, and leptin, along with dopamine and its receptors. Additionally, this paper presents preventative measures for obesity along with currently available treatment approaches, including herbal, pharmacological, and surgical interventions, as well as lifestyle modifications affecting the body on a molecular level. Additionally, an individualised diagnostic and treatment pathway using obesity biomarkers is proposed. Lastly, this review highlights that research on obesity from a molecular biology perspective is still evolving, and that there are few to no approved genetic treatment approaches despite the growing body of research in the fields of nutrition and genetics.