The relationship between insulin and obesity molecular and physiological insights

Obesity is a global health crisis intricately linked with insulin dysfunction, which plays a pivotal role in metabolic regulation. This paper explores the molecular and physiological mechanisms underpinning the relationship between insulin and obesity, focusing on how insulin resistance develops in key tissues such as muscle, liver, and adipose tissue. Chronic low-grade inflammation, adipokine imbalance, and elevated free fatty acids disrupt insulin signaling pathways, exacerbating metabolic dysfunction. Additionally, insulin’s role in the central nervous system influences appetite regulation and energy homeostasis, with central insulin resistance contributing to impaired hunger and satiety signaling in obesity. Current therapeutic approaches, including lifestyle modification, pharmacological agents, and bariatric surgery, offer varying degrees of improvement in insulin sensitivity but face challenges related to the complexity and heterogeneity of insulin resistance. This review highlights existing knowledge gaps and controversies, emphasizing the need for personalized, multi-targeted interventions. Understanding the multifaceted role of insulin in obesity is critical for developing effective strategies to combat this epidemic and its associated metabolic disorders.