OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to verify the prevalence of metabolically healthy obese (MHO) phenotype and associated factors in South American adolescents who are overweight.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was carried out with 340 overweight adolescent boys and girls between 10 and 18 y of age. The participants were classified as MHO according to two definitions: absence of any metabolic syndrome component and absence of insulin resistance (IR). The MHO phenotype-associated factors analyzed were age, sex, nutritional status, waist circumference (WC), body composition, metabolic profile, and cardiorespiratory fitness. Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine predictors of MHO using odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals.

RESULTS

The prevalence of MHO in South American overweight adolescents was 49.4% and 55.9% according to MS and IR criteria, respectively. Sex and WC were predictors of the MHO phenotype, considering MS classification criterion. For the IR criterion, age, WC, and triacylglycerol levels were independent predictors of MHO in adolescents. Cardiorespiratory fitness did not predict MHO phenotype in any of the criteria used.

CONCLUSIONS

The prevalence of MHO in South American overweight adolescents was high and varied according to the definition used. Age, sex, WC, and triacylglycerolslevel were independent predictors of the MHO phenotype in this population.