Definition and research guide
This page combines a MeSH definition, publication statistics and selected research abstracts. It is a starting point for reading the literature, not a medical textbook or a systematic evidence review.
Content available: 3 complete abstracts (539 words), 9 references. Full article text is not stored or reproduced here; follow the PMID, DOI or PMC links to read the original sources and their access terms.
Definition
The mass or quantity of heaviness of an individual. It is expressed by units of pounds or kilograms.
Definition: NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) scope note (Public domain (U.S. National Library of Medicine); attribution requested). View the MeSH record.
Also known as: Body Weights; Weight, Body; Weights, Body.
Where it fits in the MeSH classification
- Broader topics
- Signs and Symptoms; Body Size; Physical Appearance, Body
- Narrower topics
- Birth Weight; Body Weight Changes; Fetal Weight; Overweight; Thinness; Ideal Body Weight; Body Weight Maintenance
- See also
- Obesity
Research landscape
PubMed indexes 585,487 records tagged with the MeSH heading “Body Weight” (counts retrieved 2026-10-31). 121,819 of them (20.8%) were published from 2020 onward, and the busiest period so far is 2010-2019 with 189,607 records.
Reviews account for 65,179 records (11.1%) and meta-analyses for 8,328. Randomized controlled trials number 28,687 (4.9%) as a share of all records on the topic.
Show the data
| Period | Records |
|---|---|
| through 1999 | 161,931 |
| 2000-2009 | 112,130 |
| 2010-2019 | 189,607 |
| 2020 onward | 121,819 |
Publication-type chart data
| Type | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews | 65,179 | 11.1% |
| Meta-analyses | 8,328 | 1.4% |
| Randomized controlled trials | 28,687 | 4.9% |
Method: PubMed query "Body Weight"[MeSH Terms] with publication-type and date filters, retrieved 2026-10-31.
Reading the evidence in anatomy and physiology
Anatomy describes how body structures are built and physiology describes how they normally work, so most findings here are descriptive or mechanistic rather than evidence about treatment. Much of what is known comes from dissection, imaging, tissue studies and experiments in animals, and measurements in healthy volunteers can differ from those in people with disease or at different ages. Normal ranges vary between individuals and populations. Check whether a result was measured in people or in another species, the age and health of the participants, and the method used.
Evidence from open-access studies
These open-access studies come from PubMed’s best-match results for this heading (papers whose main topic it is), ranked here by citation count, with one recent addition. Each abstract is reproduced in full under its recorded open licence so that you can read the authors’ own words. They illustrate the literature; they are not a systematic summary of it. Citation counts measure attention, not reliability or clinical benefit.
| Study / authors | Year | Source label / design | Europe PMC citations | Licence / source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Intestinal fructose catabolism promotes obesity and insulin resistance via ileal lacteal remodeling | 2026 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 1 | cc by PMID 42664326 · DOI · PMC13524015 |
| Association Between Relative Cord Hyperleptinemia and Offspring Outcomes in Pregnant Women With Overweight or Obesity | 2026 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 1 | cc by PMID 42629609 · DOI · PMC13498720 |
| Effect of Semaglutide on the Inflammatory Biomarker High-Sensitivity CRP in Patients With Established Cardiovascular Disease and Overweight or Obesity in SELECT: A Prespecified Secondary Analysis | 2026 | Randomized controlled trial Design not recorded in structured metadata | 1 | cc by PMID 42610271 · DOI · PMC13574348 |
Intestinal fructose catabolism promotes obesity and insulin resistance via ileal lacteal remodeling [1]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) consumption is a risk factor for obesity and diabetes, yet the underlying mechanisms, especially at the specific organ level, are incompletely understood.
- Closing excerpt
- It may also be relevant to the clinical evidence that pharmacologic suppression of fructose catabolism mitigates diet-induced obesity.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (148 words)
High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) consumption is a risk factor for obesity and diabetes, yet the underlying mechanisms, especially at the specific organ level, are incompletely understood. Catabolism of dietary fructose primarily occurs in the small intestine and liver, with fructose breakdown in the liver being pathological, while small intestinal fructose clearance protects the liver. Here, we report that inhibition of fructose catabolism specifically in the murine small intestine unexpectedly mitigates fructose-induced obesity and insulin resistance. Such phenotypes are attributed to decreased dietary fat absorption by the shortening of ileal lacteals. Fecal transplantation experiments revealed that the microbiome altered by blunted host intestinal fructose catabolism decreases ileal macrophages essential for lacteal growth. Thus, altered intestinal lacteal architecture likely contributes to the synergistic effects of high fat and sugar on metabolic disorders. It may also be relevant to the clinical evidence that pharmacologic suppression of fructose catabolism mitigates diet-induced obesity.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 42664326 · DOI · PMC13524015
Association Between Relative Cord Hyperleptinemia and Offspring Outcomes in Pregnant Women With Overweight or Obesity [2]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Background/objectivesUmbilical cord leptin is increased in infants of women with obesity.
- Closing excerpt
- 9), p ConclusionsRelative cord hyperleptinaemia was associated with reduced offspring BMI among males.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (131 words)
Background/objectivesUmbilical cord leptin is increased in infants of women with obesity. We tested the hypothesis that a high cord leptin-to-fat mass ratio might be associated with adverse outcomes at birth and in early childhood.MethodsA secondary analysis of vitamin D And Lifestyle Intervention for gestational diabetes mellitus prevention (DALI) trial was conducted. Cord leptin-to-fat mass ratios were classified into top (TT), middle, and low (LT) tertiles overall and within sexes. Relationship with neonatal outcomes and offspring BMI z-scores were compared between TT and LT groups.ResultsAmong 323 infants (maternal pre-pregnancy BMI 33.7 ± 4.2 kg/m2, 52% male) female (vs. male) offspring had higher cord leptin, fat mass percentage, and leptin-to-fat mass ratio (median (IQR): 21.4 (13.4, 30.99) vs. 15.5 (8.3, 25.9), p ConclusionsRelative cord hyperleptinaemia was associated with reduced offspring BMI among males.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 42629609 · DOI · PMC13498720
Effect of Semaglutide on the Inflammatory Biomarker High-Sensitivity CRP in Patients With Established Cardiovascular Disease and Overweight or Obesity in SELECT: A Prespecified Secondary Analysis [3]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- BackgroundIn SELECT (Semaglutide Effects on Heart Disease and Stroke in Patients With Overweight or Obesity), among 17 604 patients with known atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and overweight or obesity, but not diabetes, randomization to the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist semaglutide significantly reduced the primary outcome of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE; cardiovascular death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, or nonfatal stroke) compared with placebo (mean follow-up, 39.
- Closing excerpt
- gov; Unique identifier: NCT03574597.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (260 words)
BackgroundIn SELECT (Semaglutide Effects on Heart Disease and Stroke in Patients With Overweight or Obesity), among 17 604 patients with known atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and overweight or obesity, but not diabetes, randomization to the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist semaglutide significantly reduced the primary outcome of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE; cardiovascular death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, or nonfatal stroke) compared with placebo (mean follow-up, 39.8 months). Inflammation, as indicated by plasma hsCRP (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein) level, is implicated as a biomarker predicting cardiovascular risk in obesity and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. SELECT provides a unique opportunity to study the relationship among hsCRP, obesity, weight loss, and MACE outcomes in semaglutide versus placebo groups.MethodsIn this prespecified SELECT substudy, we evaluated whether baseline hsCRP levels predicted MACE risk and examined the relationships between changes in hsCRP levels and time to first MACE, baseline body weight, weight loss, and other clinical measures among treatment groups over time (104, 208 weeks) using multiple approaches, including Cox modeling.ResultsBaseline hsCRP level, which was similar in the semaglutide (geometric mean 1.96 mg/L) and placebo (geometric mean 1.91 mg/L) groups, was prognostic of future MACE. The risk of MACE increased across baseline hsCRP level ConclusionsIn SELECT, hsCRP data at baseline and in response to treatment with semaglutide support inflammation as a potential prognostic factor associated with cardiovascular risk in these generally well-treated patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and overweight or obesity but not diabetes. These findings suggest that the MACE reduction observed with semaglutide versus placebo in SELECT may have partially involved a decrease in inflammation.RegistrationURL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifier: NCT03574597.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 42610271 · DOI · PMC13574348
Key reviews and meta-analyses
The most cited review-type papers among PubMed’s best-match results for this heading, listed with bibliographic details only. Follow the links for the full text and access terms.
- Research article Weight regain after cessation of medication for weight management: systematic review and meta-analysis [4]
- Research article Heterogeneity of Treatment Effects of Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists for Weight Loss in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis [5]
- Research article Effect of GLP-1 receptor agonists and co-agonists on atrial fibrillation risk in overweight or obesity: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials [6]
- Research article GLP-1 receptor agonists for weight loss: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials [7]
- Research article Intermittent fasting for adults with overweight or obesity [8]
- Research article Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist treatment reduces body weight and improves glycaemic outcomes in patients with concurrent overweight/obesity and type 1 diabetes: A systematic review and meta-analysis [9]
References
- Lopez ML, Kang T, Espeleta AM, Rubtsova VI, Baek J, Songcuan J, et al.. Intestinal fructose catabolism promotes obesity and insulin resistance via ileal lacteal remodeling. . 2026. PMID 42664326 · DOI · PMC13524015
- Immanuel J, Chirayath S, Harreiter J, Desoye G, Corcoy R, Adelantado JM, et al.. Association Between Relative Cord Hyperleptinemia and Offspring Outcomes in Pregnant Women With Overweight or Obesity. . 2026. PMID 42629609 · DOI · PMC13498720
- Plutzky J, Bogdański P, Colhoun HM, Dağdelen S, Deanfield JE, Emerson SS, et al.. Effect of Semaglutide on the Inflammatory Biomarker High-Sensitivity CRP in Patients With Established Cardiovascular Disease and Overweight or Obesity in SELECT: A Prespecified Secondary Analysis. . 2026. PMID 42610271 · DOI · PMC13574348
- West S, Scragg J, Aveyard P, Oke JL, Willis L, Haffner SJP, et al.. Weight regain after cessation of medication for weight management: systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ. 2026. PMID 41500720 · DOI · PMC12776922
- Alexander GC, Xiao X, Dilek S, Lewis S, Deng Q, Kim M, et al.. Heterogeneity of Treatment Effects of Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists for Weight Loss in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. JAMA Intern Med. 2026. PMID 41770554 · DOI
- Karakasis P, Vlachos K, Antoniadis AP, Siontis KC, Patoulias D, Fragakis N, et al.. Effect of GLP-1 receptor agonists and co-agonists on atrial fibrillation risk in overweight or obesity: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Metabolism. 2026. PMID 41349790 · DOI
- Ahmad N, Alruwayyes A, Alarjani A, Tawhari A, Aldosri A, Alahmari A, et al.. GLP-1 receptor agonists for weight loss: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Medicine (Baltimore). 2026. PMID 41824845 · DOI · PMC12991648
- Garegnani LI, Oltra G, Ivaldi D, Burgos MA, Andrenacci PJ, Rico S, et al.. Intermittent fasting for adults with overweight or obesity. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2026. PMID 41692034 · DOI
- Purcell AR, Zhen XM, Wong J, Glastras SJ. Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist treatment reduces body weight and improves glycaemic outcomes in patients with concurrent overweight/obesity and type 1 diabetes: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Diabetes Obes Metab. 2026. PMID 41334580 · DOI · PMC12673429
About this article
- Sources
- NLM Medical Subject Headings (definition, synonyms); NCBI PubMed (counts, identifiers); Europe PMC (open-access abstracts and citation counts).
- Verification
- Every reference was resolved against PubMed on 2026-10-31; title, year and DOI matched.
- Review state
- automated source verified; no human expert review has been recorded yet.
- Version
- 1, last updated 2026-10-31.
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Evidence strength
EvidenceHelix's computed view of the study designs behind this topic: how common meta-analyses, randomized trials and reviews are, how recent the literature is, and a plain-language reading. It describes the design mix of the literature. It is not a quality appraisal of any study, and it is not medical advice.