Is it Possible to Easily Identify Metabolically Healthy Obese Women?

BACKGROUND: Obesity is recognized as a major risk factor for the development of several metabolic complications. However, some obese individuals have a favorable metabolic profile.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to identify an easy parameter for recognizing metabolically healthy obese (MHO) women.

METHODS: A total of 292 non-diabetic women with a body mass index (BMI) ≥ 30 kg/m2 were selected, and 239 composed the final cohort. We classified the participants according to their metabolic state determined by homeostasis model assessment (HOMA) into MHO or metabolically unhealthy obese (MUO). Both groups were compared regarding biochemical, anthropometric, and body composition characteristics.

RESULTS: The average age of the cohort was 43.9 ± 10.9 years and the average BMI was 37.2 ± 5.3 kg/m2. In total, 75.7% of the participants were classified as MHO by HOMA. A cutoff of 108.2 cm for waist circumference (WC) identified MHO participants with a sensitivity of 72.4% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 59.8-82.3%), specificity of 66.9% (95% CI: 59.71-73.3%), and negative likelihood ratio of 0.41 (95% CI: 0.36-0.47). Additionally, a visceral adiposity index cutoff value of 99.2 identified MHO women with a sensitivity of 89.7% (95% CI: 79.2-95.2%), specificity of 48.6% (95% CI: 41.4-55.9%), and negative likelihood ratio of 0.21 (95% CI: 0.15-0.30).

CONCLUSION: Women classified as MHO exhibited smaller WC measurements and lower body fat percentages, as well as lower blood glucose and insulin levels. WC emerged as an easy parameter for identifying MHO women.