Abstract
Obesity is characterized by excessive accumulation of body fat and is a growing public health concern throughout the world. The high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in obese patients has been well documented, and is mainly attributed to a dilutional effect due to greater amount of adipose tissue.
It has not yet been established whether vitamin D deficiency acts as a specific cause of obesity, if obesity causes vitamin D deficiency, or whether the two form a vicious circle. However, it has been documented that such deficiency could exacerbate the natural process of obesity, increasing the risk of developing other pathologies and comorbidities.
Research concerning vitamin D supplementation in this population is increasing in popularity due to its apparent multiple benefits, however, there are also studies that show inconclusive results regarding its usefulness.
This review examines the possible causes of vitamin D deficiency in obese patients, the clinical consequences of said deficiency, and the evidence on the value of vitamin D supplementation in this population group.
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Copyright (c) 2022 Adriana Araya Zúñiga, Michelle Mou Keng, Analaura Ramirez Camacho