Obesity is a growing health concern in many countries around the world. Coupled with an aging population, there are increasing numbers of patients who live with obesity alongside various co-morbidities.

Obesity at different stages of the life course can have different influences, causes and consequences. Age is one of the biggest factors that influences obesity and children living with obesity are more likely to become adults living with obesity. This means it is important to investigate how obesity changes throughout the lifecourse.

Furthermore, the way we measure obesity using body mass index (BMI) thresholds differs between adults and children. The level of which BMI increases health risks differ in older adults as well as in different ethnic groups and individuals with different body types. Further research into how we can best measure obesity across the life course is required.

This Research Topic aims to better understand obesity over the life course. This includes, but is not limited to addressing the following questions:

• How do societal, individual, and environmental influences of obesity change throughout the life course?

• How do social, psychological, and health consequences of obesity change throughout the life course?

• How does obesity in early life influence obesity in later life?

• What are the key stages of life where obesity policy will have a bigger influence?

• Which obesity-related policies will be most successful at which life stages?

• What is the best way to measure obesity across the life course?

• How can we best measure changes in obesity (for both an individual and society as a whole)?

• Are their distinct trajectories of obesity across the life course (or at specific life stages)

• Are trends in obesity across the life course changing over time?

• How are data and digital technology being used to predict and prevent obesity across the life course?

• How are data and digital technology being used to improve the monitoring and surveillance of obesity across the life course?

• What is the life course impact of weight stigma on health and psychological outcomes?

We will be accepting articles that address issues related to the themes listed below. Articles can use data from any specific population or geographical region. We will also accept methodological articles that consider the use of different methods to analyze longitudinal obesity data or to measure obesity across the life course or changes in obesity over time.

Articles submitted should use person-first language, particularly when referring to obesity and aging.

The key themes include but are not limited to the following:

• Changes in obesity with age

• Measurement, monitoring, and surveillance of obesity: across the life course, or at specific life stages

• Causes and consequences of obesity at various life stages

• Influences of early obesity on obesity and obesity-related comorbidities in later life

• Distinct trajectories of obesity

• Current epidemiology of obesity

• Obesity and aging

• Obesity policies at different life stages

• Obesity-related behaviours across the life course

• Obesity and public health informatics

• Weight stigma

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Frontiers in Public Health

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