Researchers of Genetics at Merck Research Laboratories report that obesity; diabetes and heart disease are all linked to disruption in the entire gene network due to overeating.  Hundred of genes were disordered when mice were given high fat western diets. Research among Icelandic humans showed that people having a higher body mass index, have a different pattern of gene activation in their fatty tissues not seen in the blood DNA samples.

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According to a research on 2,887 patients, women who had a body mass index (BMI) of over 30kg/m2 and were suffering from breast cancer had poorer outcomes in terms of being disease-free and of overall survival, as compared to non-obese patients. The research, led by Dr. Evandro de Azambuja and colleagues from the Jules Bordet Institute in Brussels, demonstrated that obese women presented significantly more often with stage 3-4 disease and that they were less likely to have undergone ultrasound or MRI examinations. They also experienced more surgical delay and prolonged hospital stay after surgery.