Main characteristics of metabolically obese normal weight and metabolically healthy obese phenotypes

Tatiana F S Teixeira; Raquel D M Alves; Ana Paula B Moreira; Maria do Carmo G Peluzio

doi:10.1093/nutrit/nuu007

Main characteristics of metabolically obese normal weight and metabolically healthy obese phenotypes

Nutr Rev. 2015 Mar;73(3):175-90. doi: 10.1093/nutrit/nuu007. Epub 2015 Feb 13.

Authors

Tatiana F S Teixeira¹, Raquel D M Alves², Ana Paula B Moreira², Maria do Carmo G Peluzio²

Affiliations

¹ TFS Teixeira, RDM Alves, APB Moreira, and MdCG Peluzio are with the Nutrition and Health Department, Federal University of Viçosa, Viçosa, MG, Brazil. tatiana.salles@ufv.br tatifichee@hotmail.com.
² TFS Teixeira, RDM Alves, APB Moreira, and MdCG Peluzio are with the Nutrition and Health Department, Federal University of Viçosa, Viçosa, MG, Brazil.

PMID: 26024540
DOI: 10.1093/nutrit/nuu007

Abstract

In this review, the influence of fat depots on insulin resistance and the main characteristics of metabolically obese normal-weight and metabolically healthy obese phenotypes are discussed. Medline/PubMed and Science Direct were searched for articles related to the terms metabolically healthy obesity, metabolically obese normal weight, adipose tissue, and insulin resistance. Normal weight and obesity might be heterogeneous in regard to their effects. Fat distribution and lower insulin sensitivity are the main factors defining phenotypes within the same body mass index. Although these terms are interesting, controversies about them remain. Future studies exploring these phenotypes will help elucidate the roles of adiposity and/or insulin resistance in the development of metabolic alterations.

Keywords: adiposity; insulin resistance; obesity.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adiposity / physiology*
Adult
Body Mass Index
Body Weight / physiology*
Female
Humans
Insulin Resistance / physiology*
Male
Obesity / physiopathology*
Somatotypes / physiology*