Final answer:
Overnutrition, characterized by excessive nutrient and calorie intake, can result in pathological conditions such as obesity, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and certain types of cancer. Risk factors include consuming excess calories, a sedentary lifestyle, and genetic factors. Leptin resistance is a physiological mechanism underlying obesity, contributing to a host of related health issues.
Step-by-step explanation:
Overnutrition is a type of malnutrition characterized by an excessive intake of calories and nutrients, leading to various health issues. Common risk factors for developing overnutrition include consuming more calories than the body uses, a sedentary lifestyle, and sometimes, genetic predispositions. When the body's energy balance is disrupted in this way, it can result in pathological conditions such as obesity—a metabolic disorder characterized by an accumulation of excess body fat.
Conditions associated with overnutrition include but are not limited to metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, certain types of cancer, osteoporosis, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and inflammatory disorders. These diseases emerge partly due to the physiological effects of excess fat mass or an increased number of fat cells, leading to states such as leptin resistance, where the body cannot correctly signal satiety. Overnutrition can also exacerbate conditions like osteoarthritis and obstructive sleep apnea.
Obesity, often resulting from overnutrition, is considered a growing global health challenge. Statistics have shown significant increases in the rates of overweight and obese adults and children, contributing to a higher prevalence of the aforementioned health problems.