BACKGROUND Obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2D) are major public health issues worldwide, and put a significant burden on the healthcare system. Genetic variants, along with traditional risk factors such as diet and physical activity, could account for up to approximately a quarter of disease risk. Epigenetic factors have demonstrated potential in accounting for additional phenotypic variation, along with providing insights into the causal relationship linking genetic variants to phenotypes. SCOPE OF REVIEW In this review article, we discuss the epidemiological and functional insights into epigenetic disturbances in obesity and diabetes, along with future research directions and approaches, with a focus on DNA methylation. MAJOR CONCLUSIONS Epigenetic mechanisms have been shown to contribute to obesity and T2D disease development, as well as potential differences in disease risks between ethnic populations. Technology to investigate epigenetic profiles in diseased individuals and tissues has advanced significantly in the last years, and suggests potential in application of epigenetic factors in clinical monitoring and as therapeutic options.

中文翻译：

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肥胖和糖尿病的表观遗传紊乱：流行病学和功能见解。

背景技术肥胖和2型糖尿病(T2D)是全世界主要的公共卫生问题，给医疗保健系统带来了沉重的负担。遗传变异以及饮食和体力活动等传统风险因素可能导致约四分之一的疾病风险。表观遗传因素已证明有可能解释额外的表型变异，并提供对遗传变异与表型之间因果关系的见解。综述范围在这篇综述文章中，我们讨论了肥胖和糖尿病表观遗传紊乱的流行病学和功能见解，以及未来的研究方向和方法，重点是 DNA 甲基化。主要结论 表观遗传机制已被证明有助于肥胖和 T2D 疾病的发展，以及种族人群之间疾病风险的潜在差异。研究患病个体和组织表观遗传特征的技术在过去几年中取得了显着进步，并表明表观遗传因素在临床监测和作为治疗选择中的应用潜力。