By — Emilie Schrepfer

As a mirror reflecting our evolution, human societies have changed in fundamental ways. From many aspects, our wellbeing and quality of life have been improved, but notwithstanding the eradication of previous severe diseases with high case-fatality ratio, new global pandemic threats have emerged. Thus, at the other end of the malnutrition scale, obesity has become one of the most important health problems plaguing both developed and developing countries. Beyond the nutritional aspect, obesity is a complex pathology affecting all age and socio-economic groups with serious medical, psychological and social repercussions.

With the idea that the multiple determinants of obesity require a multidisciplinary perspective in coping with this world-wide epidemic, a number of Frontiers journals are partnering to provide a broad scientific forum covering all aspects concerned by this phenomenon.

Under the leadership of Prof. Jeff Holly (Field Chief Editor of Frontiers in Endocrinology), Prof. Katherine Samaras (Specialty Chief Editor of the Obesity section of Frontiers), Prof. Hendrik Stahel (Field Chief Editor of Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine), Prof. Michel Goldman (Field Chief Editor of Frontiers in Medicine), and Prof. Johannes le Coutre (Field Chief Editor of Frontiers in Nutrition), we have launched a Research Topic titled “With Obesity Becoming the New Normal, What Should We Do?”. The Research Topic is cross-listed in 15 Frontiers journals and prospective authors can submit their manuscript through that Journal which best fits the contents of their manuscript.

The Topic Editors aim to discuss many crucial points including, but not limited to the description and explanation of obesity evolution over time and its propagation in various geographical areas, endocrine interventions, surgical procedures, medical complications and their economic consequences, the role of the food industries to promote healthy eating, and behavioral changes that could be effectively induced at the population level.

We hope this Research Topic will participate meaningfully in the debate on obesity and that it will contribute to designing solutions to this urgent medical and a major societal challenge. Submissions are now open until the end of 2017. For more information, please visit the homepage of this Research Topic or contact the Frontiers in Endocrinology journal development team.