obesity
Americannoun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of obesity
First recorded in 1605–15; from Middle French obésité, from Latin obēsitāt-, stem of obēsitās, equivalent to obēs(us) obese ( def. ) + -i- ( def. ) + -tās -ty 2 ( def. )
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Explanation
Obesity is the condition of being more overweight than is considered average or healthy. The noun obesity was first used around 1610 and has origins in the Latin word obesitas, meaning "fatness" or "corpulence." During the Middle Ages, obesity was a sign of wealth and prosperity indicating that you had enough money to buy and eat all the food you wanted while others starved. Nowadays, research has shown that having too much fat can cause a number of related health problems. A healthy diet and fitness regime is a great way for someone to shed excess pounds and avoid obesity.
Vocabulary lists containing obesity
"A Rose for Emily"
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List 2
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Nutrition - Introductory
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Obesity jabs curb appetite and make you feel fuller for longer, so you eat much less and shed weight.
From BBC • Jun. 8, 2026
Obesity rates are falling, the volume of food consumed in America is declining and retailers report a slump in sales of plus-size apparel.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 17, 2026
The Obesity Health Alliance, a co-alition of 70 charities and health organisations, wants the government to act more decisively against the promotion of unhealthy food and drinks.
From BBC • May 16, 2026
Obesity increases the risk of many lifestyle-related diseases, making prevention a major public health priority.
From Science Daily • Apr. 14, 2026
Rather, it’s the advertisements for junk food, notes the Harvard School of Public Health in a health advisory titled “The Small Screen Looms Large in the Obesity Epidemic.”
From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
