Vitamin D Insufficiency Among Obese Adults In The Eastern Region Of Libya

Abstract

Overweight and obesity are defined as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that may impair health. Globally, overweight and obesity are the fifth leading contributors to fatalities. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), body mass index (BMI) ≥ 25 is overweight, and BMI ≥ 30 is obesity. Vitamin D (calciferol), which comprises a group of fat soluble seco-sterols that are found in very few foods naturally, is photosynthesized from cholesterol in the skin of vertebrates by the action of solar ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation. The two major physiologically relevant ones are vitamin D2 and vitamin D3. There is a growing evidence that obesity and vitamin D deficiency are related, although the cause-effect relationship remains unclear. Objective of this work was to find out whether obesity alters vitamin D level in obese adults in the Eastern region of Libya.