White adipose tissue is one of the largest organs of the body. It plays a key role in whole-body energy status and metabolism; it not only stores excess energy but also secretes various hormones and metabolites to regulate body energy balance. Healthy adipose tissue capable of expanding is needed for metabolic well-being and to prevent accumulation of triglycerides to other organs. Mitochondria govern several important functions in the adipose tissue. We review the derangements of mitochondrial function in white adipose tissue in the obese state. Downregulation of mitochondrial function or biogenesis in the white adipose tissue is a central driver for obesity-associated metabolic diseases. Mitochondrial functions compromised in obesity include oxidative functions and renewal and enlargement of the adipose tissue through recruitment and differentiation of adipocyte progenitor cells. These changes adversely affect whole-body metabolic health. Dysfunction of the white adipose tissue mitochondria in obesity has long-term consequences for the metabolism of adipose tissue and the whole body. Understanding the pathways behind mitochondrial dysfunction may help reveal targets for pharmacological or nutritional interventions that enhance mitochondrial biogenesis or function in adipose tissue. KEYWORDS adipose tissue, mitochondria, obesity 1 | INTRODUCTION Obesity is a global and rapidly increasing problem, tripled since 1975 by WHO 2018 standards in developed countries. Obesity is also extremely difficult to treat. A key defining feature of obesity is an adipose tissue dysfunction, which is considered to be a major contributor to the development of obesity-related metabolic problems, 1,2 such as metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, hypertension, dyslipidaemia, and fatty liver. The underlying pathological mechanisms that impair adipose tissue function in obesity are incompletely understood, but in the light of recent scientific advances, it may be connected to insufficient storage capacity or impaired function of mitochondria, or both. Mitochondria are the energy centres of adipocytes and are involved in many of their key metabolic functions including ATP production, fatty acid synthesis and oxidation, and the triglyceride balance of the cell. Although adipose tissue was long considered as an inert reservoir of fat with low abundance of mitochondria, adipose tissue and its active mitochondria have recently emerged as one of the central regulators influencing whole-body metabolism. 1,3,4 Impairments in adipocyte mitochondrial function are associated with metabolic diseases and the development of obesity-related disorders. 3-6Better understanding on the dysfunction of adipose tissue mitochondria may yield insights on how the metabolic complications of obesity could be reversed. In this review, we concentrate on the metabolic processes in white adipose tissue that are regulated by mitochondria /journal/obr 1 of 23 23 of like bariatric surgery that seem to preserve a favourable metabolic profile in adipose tissue should be ...