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obesogenic

American  
[oh-bee-suh-jen-ik] / oʊˌbi səˈdʒɛn ɪk /

adjective

  1. causing, or increasing the likelihood of, obesity in a person or animal.

    Unfortunately, some obesogenic chemicals, such as phthalates and bisphenol, are ubiquitous in the environment.


obesogenic British  
/ əˌbiːsəˈdʒɛnɪk /

adjective

  1. med causing obesity

    an obesogenic environment

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of obesogenic

First recorded in 1980–85; obes(e) ( def. ) + -o- ( def. ) + -genic ( def. )


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.

See Examples For:

Although the keto-fed mice did not become obese, their tumor rates were similar to, and in some cases higher than, those seen in mice consuming the obesogenic high fat/high calorie diet.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 6, 2026

Public health experts refer to this as the obesogenic environment, a term first used in the 1990s as researchers began linking rising obesity rates to external factors like food availability, marketing, and urban design.

From BBC ● Jan. 4, 2026

“We live in an obesogenic environment,” Gupta explains.

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 10, 2023

In a recent study in the journal Cell Metabolism, Panda and his colleagues gave two groups of young, male mice the same obesogenic diet, meaning it was high in sugar and fat.

From Salon ● Jan. 25, 2023

In fact, he is addressing an obesogenic factor: a supplemental food program that treats the food market in a laissez-faire manner.

From New York Times ● Sep. 22, 2016

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