Obesity, a global health crisis driven by excessive body fat accumulation, predisposes individuals to metabolic disorders such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and fatty liver disease. Although genetic and environmental factors play roles in the pathogenesis of obesity, recent transcriptomic studies have revealed that noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs), particularly long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) and circular RNAs (circRNAs), act as key regulators of crucial pathways in obesity, including adipogenesis, inflammation, insulin resistance, and energy homeostasis. This review synthesizes emerging evidence on the roles of lncRNAs and circRNAs in obesity and its complications, emphasizing their utility as biomarkers and therapeutic targets. We further discuss challenges in translating ncRNA biology into clinical practice and propose integrative strategies to advance precision medicine for obesity.
Keywords: circRNA; lncRNA; metabolic disorder; noncoding RNA; obesity.
© 2026 World Obesity Federation.