VITAMIN D INSUFFICIENCY ASSOCIATED WITH OBESITY IN THE ADULT POPULATION: A REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

Abstract

Obesity is a chronic condition resulting from several factors and occurs when there is excess body weight, being identified mainly by BMI above 30 kg/m². Vitamin D, also known as calciferol, is a prehormone that plays an important role in calcium metabolism. However, one of the several side effects of this vitamin is its influence on the metabolism of certain cellular tissues, including adipose. Therefore, there is evidence to suggest a frequent vitamin D deficiency in obese patients. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the prevalence of low vitamin D levels in these individuals. To this end, a bibliographical survey was carried out with analyzes of several scientific publications that associated the lack of vitamin D with the processes of formation and maintenance of obesity. Research suggests that this link is more related to the fact that vitamin D is captured by fat cells, thus reducing the availability of this hormone and making its deficiency a subsequent consequence of the development of obesity. Although vitamin D is effective in improving some inflammatory markers, further research is needed to consolidate the direct relationship between it and obesity, in addition to establishing a supplementation therapy for this hormone for obese individuals.