New obesity classification criteria as a tool for bariatric surgery indication

Abstract

Obesity plays relevant pathophysiological role in the development of health problems, arising as result of complex interaction of genetic, nutritional, and metabolic factors. Due to the role of adipose tissue in lipid and glucose metabolism, and low grade inflammation, it is necessary to classify obesity on the basis of body fat composition and distribution, rather than the simply increase of body weight, and the Body Mass Index. The new term of adiposopathy (''sick fat'') clearly defines the pathogenic role of adipose tissue. Four phenotypes of obese individuals have been described: (1) normal weight obese (NWO); (2) metabolically obese normal weight; (3) metabolically healthy obese; and (4) metabolically unhealthy obese or "at risk" obese. Moreover, sarcopenic obesity has been related to all the phenotypes. The category of normal weight lean, represented by metabolically healthy normal weight has been classified to distinguish from NWO. It is crucial to recommend a bariatric surgery taking into account adiposopathy and sick fat that occurs with the expansion of fat mass, changing the inflammatory and metabolic profile of the patient. Body fat percentage and genetic polymorphism have to be evaluated to personalize the best bariatric surgery intervention.

Keywords: Adiposopathy; Fat mass; Laparoscopic gastric banding; Metabolically healthy normal weight; Metabolically healthy obese; Metabolically obese normal weight; Metabolically unhealthy obese; Normal weight lean; Normal weight obese; Obesity.

Figure 1

Techniques in body composition.

Figure 2

Characteristic of the four obese phenotypes. A: Women; B: Men. NWO: Normal weight obese; MONW: metabolically obese normal weight; MHO: metabolically healthy obese; MUO: metabolically unhealthy obese; BMI: body mass index; hsP: High-sensitive C-reactive protein. Data are expressed as average ± SD (a ± b), or as minimum-maximum (a-b), according to the references.