Anthropometric and body composition parameters in adolescents with the metabolically obese normal-weight phenotype

We aimed to investigate the anthropometric and body composition parameters associated with the metabolically obese normal-weight (MONW) phenotype. This cross-sectional study was conducted with 506 adolescents in Brazil (aged 10-19 y). The MONW phenotype was defined as normal-weight, according to BMI/age, and at least one metabolic alteration. Anthropometric measurements were obtained and the DEXA was used for body composition analysis. Crude and adjusted Poisson regression models with robust variance were used to estimate the associations. The phenotype was positively associated with waist circumference (male: prevalence ratio (PR) = 1 center dot 05; 95% CI 1 center dot 01, 1 center dot 09; female: PR = 1 center dot 06; 95% CI 1 center dot 02, 1 center dot 09), waist:height ratio (male: PR = 1 center dot 26; 95% CI 1 center dot 07, 1 center dot 49; female: PR = 1 center dot 29; 95% CI 1 center dot 07, 1 center dot 56) and android:gynoid fat ratio (male: PR = 1 center dot 25; 95% CI 1 center dot 03, 1 center dot 51; female: PR = 1 center dot 39; 95% CI 1 center dot 20, 1 center dot 62), in both sexes. Furthermore, there was a positive association of phenotype with waist:hip ratio (PR = 1 center dot 32; 95% CI 1 center dot 06, 1 center dot 65) and trunk:arm fat ratio (PR = 1 center dot 13; 95% CI 1 center dot 02, 1 center dot 24) only in males and with trunk:leg fat ratio (PR = 2 center dot 84; 95% CI 1 center dot 46, 5 center dot 53), BAIp (PR = 1 center dot 06; 95% CI 1 center dot 01, 1 center dot 12), fat mass index (PR = 1 center dot 24; 95% CI 1 center dot 10, 1 center dot 41) and regional indices of metabolic load and capacity (PR = 1 center dot 29; 95% CI 1 center dot 09, 1 center dot 53), in females. Anthropometric and body composition parameters indicative of central and total fat are associated with the MONW phenotype.