Severity of Obesity Closely Associated with Likelihood of Disease Burden in US National Study

November 18, 2025 · Baton Rouge, LA

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Pennington Biomedical researchers discover direct relationship upon examining association between obesity and cardiometabolic and renal diseases 

Obesity severity is incrementally associated with a broad range of cardiometabolic and renal disease burden, as discovered by researchers at Pennington Biomedical Research Center. Recently published in Obesity, the paper “Association of Obesity Severity with Cardiometabolic and Renal Disease Burden in the United States,” explored the relationship through a cross-sectional study of data from the U.S. Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey.

In exploring the survey results, which contained data on more than 5 million people captured between 2011 and 2023, researchers calculated odds ratios for the diagnosis of diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, kidney disease, myocardial infarction, stroke and coronary artery disease across different classes of obesity. The obesity classifications were Class I (body mass index, or BMI, between 30.0 and 34.9), Class II (35.0 and 39.9), Class III (40.0 to 49.9) and Class IV (50.0 or greater). A higher BMI was associated with increased odds for all conditions, with Class IV exhibiting notably elevated odds for diabetes, hypertension and kidney disease. 

“The data show an increased likelihood of a wide array of common metabolic diseases that increase with obesity severity,” said Dr. Florina Corpodean, Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Pennington Biomedical’s Metamor Institute. “A clear, gradual increase in disease risk is associated with higher BMI, starting even as early as Class I obesity. Our study points to an urgent need for early interventions for people in all classes of obesity if we are to reduce the occurrence of these metabolic diseases.”

Corpodean was one of eight Pennington Biomedical researchers contributing to this paper. She recently presented the findings at ObesityWeek 2025 in Atlanta, the annual conference for obesity and metabolic health researchers. 

“While these individual associations of obesity and disease have been suggested, a key strength of this study is the collective examination of each of these cardiometabolic conditions in a single, nationally representative population,” noted Dr. Vance Albaugh, Assistant Professor and senior author who directed the project.

Obesity increases the risks of diabetes, hypertension and heart disease, but most studies in this area consolidate all obesity cases together, rarely categorizing beyond a BMI greater than 40. These studies fail to capture the unique risks faced by those with more severe obesity. Adults with a BMI of 50 or more face dramatically higher odds of disease, pointing to a need for a clinical and research focus on treatment for individuals in this class. 

"This research exemplifies what we're striving to achieve at Pennington Biomedical," said Dr. John Kirwan, Executive Director of Pennington Biomedical. "What's striking is how dramatically the risk of cardiometabolic and renal diseases escalates with each increasing level of obesity severity – it's a clear, stepwise progression. Our team at Pennington Biomedical and the Metamor Institute is bringing much-needed attention to individuals in higher BMI categories who haven't received adequate focus in clinical research. Understanding these distinctions is essential for developing more targeted, personalized approaches to treatment and prevention."