The Prevalence of Metabolically Healthy and Unhealthy Obesity according to Different Criteria

OBJECTIVE: Obesity-related disease risks may vary depending on whether the subject has metabolically healthy obesity (MHO) or metabolically unhealthy obesity (MUO). At least 5 definitions/criteria of obesity and metabolic disorders have been documented in the literature, yielding uncertainties in a reliable international comparison of obesity phenotype prevalence. This report aims to compare differences in MHO and MUO prevalence according to the 5 most frequently used definitions. METHODS: A random sample of 4,757 adults aged 35 years and older (male 51.1%) was enrolled. Obesity was defined either according to body mass index or waist circumference, and the definitions of metabolic abnormalities were derived from 5 different criteria. RESULTS: In MHO, the highest prevalence was obtained when using the homeostasis model assessment (HOMA) criteria (13.6%), followed by the Chinese Diabetes Society (11.4%), Adult Treatment Panel III (10.3%), Wildman (5.2%), and Karelis (4.2%) criteria; however, the MUO prevalence had an opposite trend to MHO prevalence. The magnitude of differences in the age-specific prevalence of MHO and MUO varied greatly and ranked in different orders. The proportion of insulin resistance for MHO and MUO individuals differed significantly regardless of which metabolic criterion was used. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of MHO and MUO in the Chinese population varies according to different definitions of obesity and metabolic disorders.