Insulin Resistance in Obesity

The insulin resistance seen in obesity, which is characterized by elevated basal levels of insulin and an exaggerated insulin response to such stimuli as glucose ingestion, was thought to be related to another common characteristic of obesity--enlargement of the fat cell. Now, recent studies suggest that the enlarged fat cell is not the major source of insulin insensitivity in obesity and may, in fact, be the victim of the insulin-resistant state.