The Medical Research Council (MRC), in partnership with the British Heart Foundation (BHF), is investing £72 million in the UK Obesity Research Institute (UK-ORI).
It will be dedicated to tackling one of the UK’s most significant health challenges.
The investment from BHF will be focused on research into the impact of obesity on cardiovascular disease.
Impacting individuals and healthcare
It comes as obesity continues to place a growing burden on individuals, healthcare services and the economy.
In England alone, there were 8,716 hospital admissions directly attributable to obesity in 2022 to 2023, a 13% increase on the previous year.
During the same period, obesity was a factor in more than 1.2 million hospital admissions, an increase of 8% compared to 2021 to 2022.
What causes obesity
UK-ORI will undertake research into the origins, prevention, treatment, and health consequences of obesity.
It will focus on how, and why, it affects some people and not others.
It will bring together expertise in biomedical science, medicine and technology to develop effective, targeted treatments and improved health outcomes.
Impacting chronic disease
Research will also look at the link between obesity and chronic diseases such as heart disease and cancer.
Supported by experimental medicine, the institute will test biological mechanisms in humans and help ensure that promising new therapies are developed safely and effectively.
Translating research into treatments
A key ambition for UK-ORI is to accelerate the translation of research discoveries into real-world health benefits.
The institute will strengthen links between academia, industry and healthcare, helping ensure that scientific advances lead more quickly to patient benefit.
A complex, biological condition
Professor Patrick Chinnery, MRC Executive Chair, said:
Obesity related illness costs the NHS £6 billion annually and is a leading cause of preventable premature death.
But obesity is not simply a matter of excess body fat or eating too much.
It is a complex biological condition involving the interaction of genetics, hormones, the brain, metabolism, behaviour and the environment.
The UK Obesity Research Institute will bring together world-leading expertise to tackle this challenge from multiple angles.
It will help us better understand the mechanistic causes of obesity, its links to other serious illnesses and how we can develop more effective ways of preventing and treating it.
By supporting research that spans discovery science, experimental medicine and translation, we can help deliver the evidence and innovations needed.
This will improve health outcomes for millions of people.
Accelerating development
Professor Bryan Williams, Chief Scientific and Medical Officer at the British Heart Foundation, said:
Obesity is a leading risk factor for cardiovascular disease, linked to tens of thousands of heart attacks and strokes every year in the UK.
It is vital that we improve our understanding of how obesity impacts our national health.
That’s why we’re delighted to be partnering with the Medical Research Council to establish the UK Obesity Research Institute.
Obesity is a complex condition that is too often misunderstood, yet it is one of the biggest drivers of heart disease and stroke.
The institute will bring together leading researchers and invest in cutting-edge science, helping to transform our understanding of obesity.
It will accelerate the development of new ways to prevent and treat it, ultimately helping more people to live in good health for longer.
Further information
Obesity alters metabolism, causes chronic inflammation, and places mechanical strain on the body, leading to life-threatening complications like cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and certain cancers.
The most common and severe obesity-related conditions include:
Cardiometabolic diseases
Type 2 diabetes
Excess fat causes insulin resistance, meaning the body cannot use insulin effectively to control blood sugar. Obesity accounts for many type 2 diabetes cases.
Heart disease and strokes
Obesity is a primary driver of high blood pressure (hypertension) and unhealthy cholesterol levels (high triglycerides and low high-density lipoprotein).
These factors lead to an increased risk of heart attacks, heart failure, atrial fibrillation and stroke.
Liver and gastrointestinal conditions
Steatotic liver disease
Formerly known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, it involves excessive fat deposits in the liver and can progress to chronic inflammation and severe cirrhosis.
Gallbladder disease
Higher cholesterol levels and altered gallbladder function increase the likelihood of developing painful gallstones and other biliary conditions.
Cancer
Obesity creates an environment in the body that can promote tumor growth.
It is linked to an increased risk of at least 13 types of cancer, including breast, colon, uterine, kidney, pancreatic, and liver cancer.
Respiratory and joint issues
Obstructive sleep apnea
Excess fat deposits around the neck and throat can physically narrow the airway, causing breathing to repeatedly stop and start during sleep.
Osteoarthritis
Carrying excess weight puts severe mechanical stress on weight-bearing joints like the knees and hips, while systemic inflammation further damages joint cartilage.
Kidney and neurological disease
Chronic kidney disease
Obesity increases the risk of chronic kidney disease by three to four times. This is largely driven by its correlation with high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes.
Idiopathic intracranial hypertension
A neurological condition causing high pressure in the fluid around the brain, frequently seen in individuals with higher BMIs.
Top image: Credit: nopparit, E+, iStock Images via Getty Images