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Review
. 2022 Mar 10:9:855573.
doi: 10.3389/fnut.2022.855573. eCollection 2022.

The Link Between Obesity and the Skin

Razvigor Darlenski  1   2 , Vesselina Mihaylova  3 , Teodora Handjieva-Darlenska  3
Affiliations
Review

The Link Between Obesity and the Skin

Razvigor Darlenski et al. Front Nutr. .

Abstract

Obesity as a multi-organ disease that affects the entire human organism. Notably, the skin is no exclusion from this postulate. Skin changes in obese patients have been widely studied with regards to mechanical friction, skin infections, and skin hypertrophic conditions, such as acanthosis nigricans and, most commonly, fibromas (skin tags). Almost 60-70% of obese patients present with a variety of skin changes. Herein, we discuss our own experience and review the complex skin changes in obesity. The role of metabolic syndrome and obesity are responsible for the epidemiological prevalence and are involved in the pathogenesis of chronic inflammatory skin diseases, such as psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, and skin malignancies. Here, we comment on the role of nutritional interventions in these patients as it has been proven that low-calorie diet and weight loss is related to improvement of inflammatory skin diseases. The readership of this paper will receive up-to-date overview on the connection between obesity and the skin that is of a practical importance to any clinician working in the field.

Keywords: acne; anti-obesity drugs; bariatric surgery; lichen planus; melanoma; overweight; psoriasis.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Horseshoe-like plantar hyperkeratosis of the heel.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Striae distensae (stretch marks) on the trunk of a patient with obesity.
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Acanthosis nigricans presented with velvety, brown plaques, and skin tags (fibroma pendulum) on the neck of the patient.
FIGURE 4
FIGURE 4
(A) Skin bacterial cellulitis of the scrotum and inguinal area of an obese male patient. (B) Atrophic round scars, secondary to the resolution of bacterial folliculitis, resembling “moon crater” pattern.
FIGURE 5
FIGURE 5
Elephantiasis nostras verrucosa with skin papillomatosis, pigmentation, and soft tissue overgrowth.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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