FAT-FREE MASS, METABOLICALLY HEALTHY OBESITY, AND TYPE 2 DIABETES IN SEVERELY OBESE ASIAN ADULTS

ABSTRACT Objective: To determine whether fat free mass (FFM) is independently associated with the metabolically healthy obesity (MHO) phenotype, the metabolic syndrome (MS), and type 2 diabetes (T2D) in obese Asian adults. Methods: Obese patients (body mass index [BMI] ≥25 kg/m2) seeking weight management at an academic medical center from 2007 to 2016 were included. FFM was measured by bioelectrical impedance. Results: Of the 552 patients (67.0% female, median age 40.5 years, median BMI 38.3 kg/m2), MHO was present in 19%, MS in 55.4%, and T2D in 32.6%. In multivariate models, higher fat-free mass index (FFMI) was independently associated with the metabolically abnormal obesity (MAO) phenotype, (odds ratio [OR] 1.22, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.09–1.37), and increased risk of MS (OR 1.12, 95% CI 1.03–1.22) in women but not in men. Older age was independently associated with the MAO phenotype (OR 1.06, 95% CI 1.04–1.09 in women; OR 1.06, 95% CI 1.02–1.09 in men), MS (OR 1.05, 95% CI 1.03–1.06 in women;...