Metabolically healthy and unhealthy obese--the 2013 Stock Conference report

Abstract

Obesity is closely associated with cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes, but some obese individuals, despite having excessive body fat, exhibit metabolic health that is comparable with that of lean individuals. The 'healthy obese' phenotype was described in the 1980s, but major advancements in its characterization were only made in the past five years. During this time, several new mechanisms that may be involved in health preservation in obesity were proposed through the use of transgenic animal models, use of sophisticated imaging techniques and in vivo measurements of insulin sensitivity. However, the main obstacle in advancing our understanding of the metabolically healthy obese phenotype and its related long-term health risks is the lack of a standardized definition. Here, we summarize the proceedings of the 13th Stock Conference of the International Association of the Study of Obesity. We describe the current research and highlight the unanswered questions and gaps in the field. Better understanding of metabolic health in obesity will assist in therapeutic decision-making and help identify therapeutic targets to improve metabolic health in obesity.

Keywords: Insulin sensitive; metabolic syndrome; metabolically healthy; obesity.

Figure 1

Proposed features of preserved metabolic health in obese humans. One of the most consistent characteristics of metabolic health in obesity across studies in humans is reduced liver lipid. This is likely the consequence of increased capacity for storing fat coupled with improved mitochondrial function in adipose tissue and decreased de novo lipogenesis in liver. This can also result in decreased deposition of lipids, including bioactive species, in skeletal muscle. Decreased adipose tissue inflammation with decreased macrophages and a unique T-cell signature with an anti-inflammatory circulating milieu were also suggested to characterize metabolic health in obesity. Anecdotal data support a possible role for healthier lifestyle, including increased level of physical activity and healthier diet. It remains to be established whether a favourable metagenomic signature is a characteristic of metabolic health in obesity. Reprinted and adapted from Samocha-Bonet et al., ‘Insulin-sensitive obesity in humans – a “favourable fat” phenotype?’ Trends Endocrinol Metab (2012), with permission from Wiley.