Abstract
Obesity in the United States continues to rise. The number of hospitalized obese patients is high because obesity contributes to the etiology of diseases most often seen in hospitalized patients. Both critical illness and obesity alter how nutrients are metabolized. The optimal nutrient provision for these patients is controversial. This article will review the differences in nutrient utilization of obese, critically ill patients, and summarize the studies on the effects of permissive underfeeding in hospitalized obese patients.