Obesity has many detrimental effects on the cardiovascular system that can manifest in a range of clinical presentations. Many of these are mediated by frequently coexisting conditions such as diabetes, hypertension and dyslipidemia but there are also direct, progressive effects on the arteries and the heart muscle. As evident from autopsies, even from early adulthood the degree of coronary artery disease (CAD) correlates with the BMI and particularly the amount of abdominal fat. The multiple mechanisms by which obesity exerts its effects are still being elucidated.