![Body Weight, Metabolic Status, and Health]()
Obesity generally increases the risk of metabolic disorders. But researchers have been intrigued that a subset of obese individuals appear to be “metabolically healthy obese” (MHO). To investigate whether people actually remain MHO over time, Geoffrey Kabat, Ph.D., and colleagues examined a subset (N=3,512) of participants enrolled in the Women’s Health Initiative. Participants were classified into one of six combinations of body mass index (BMI) (normal, overweight, obese) and metabolic health (healthy/unhealthy). A sophisticated statistical method was used to examine all possible transitions over a six-year period. Being obese throughout the study period strongly predicted future metabolic deterioration: women who were initially MHO had a 34-percent likelihood of becoming metabolically unhealthy. Conversely, maintaining a lower BMI was associated with metabolic improvement. The study was published on October 17 in the online version of the International Journal of Obesity. Dr. Kabat is a senior epidemiologist in the department of epidemiology & population health. The senior author is Tom Rohan, M.B.B.S., Ph.D., professor and chair of epidemiology & population health.
Posted on: Thursday, November 03, 2016