Diagnosis of obesity and evaluation of the risk of premature death (ABSI) based on body mass index and visceral fat area

Abstract

Background. Body mass index (BMI) is the most commonly used parameter for identifying obesity. However, it is a tool that can distort the diagnosis as misdiagnose. Objective. The aim of the study was to evaluate the BMI and visceral fat area (VFA) and to determine the presence of obesity in a group of young people and to assess their suitability for use together with other parameters indicating excessive body fat and increased risk of non-communicable disease and premature death. Material and Methods. The study group consisted of 339 university students. We used InBody 720 for diagnosis body composition. The following body composition parameters were measured – BMI, waist circumference (WC), fat-free mass (FFM), VFA, percentage of body fat (PBF). Results. The BMI values by gender indicate overweight in the male group compared to females (25.2 ± 3.1 and 22.2 ± 3.4 kg.m-2, respectively; p<0.001). Women had higher values of VFA than men (70.1 ± 26.4 and 56.2 ± 28.3 cm2, respectively; p<0.001). Although the group of men had an increased average BMI, which allows us to talk about overweight, the risk of premature death was low. In the case of the male group, a high proportion of fat-free mass had a major impact on BMI. Lower values of fat parameters also contributed to the low risk of premature death. We found a nonlinear relationship in the BMI assessment in terms of premature risk of death. Higher values of the premature death risk were found in the subgroups of underweight and obesity. In the case of the VFA and ABSI relationship a linear increase in the curve and the risk of premature death was observed. Conclusions. In order to evaluate the presence of overweight or obesity it is necessary to use not only BMI but other diagnostic elements for this purpose. The components of the body composition need to be evaluated comprehensively. Evidence of this is the risk of premature death, where optimal BMI values may pose an increased risk and vice versa.

Blood Concentration of Macro- and Microelements in Women Who Are Overweight/Obesity and Their Associations with Serum Biochemistry

“…Our previous studies [24,29,51] confirmed that body composition analysis should be the basis for assessing obesity risk. In the present study, we found that women with obesity had a higher body composition parameter PBF compared to women with overweight (44.86 ± 4.31% and 38.74 ± 2.83%, respectively, p < 0.001).…”

“…Discussing obesity, it is essential to introduce the concept of Body Mass Index (BMI), with a BMI of ≥25 kg/m 2 generally considered overweight and a BMI of ≥30 kg/m 2 classified as obesity [22,23]. This index is the most commonly used criterion for identifying individuals with overweight or obesity [24], and it is applicable to both sexes and all adult age groups. However, it should be considered basic guidance, as it does not capture the proportion of fat mass and fat-free mass or the changes in these compartments among individuals [25][26][27].…”

“…However, it should be considered basic guidance, as it does not capture the proportion of fat mass and fat-free mass or the changes in these compartments among individuals [25][26][27]. Similarly, Wu et al [28] and Bihari et al [24] reported that evaluating adults with overweight or obesity requires not only BMI but also other diagnostic elements. The percentage of body fat (PBF; %) may offer a more reliable and accurate indicator compared to BMI when assessing overweight or obesity [29][30][31].…”

“…The percentage of body fat (PBF; %) may offer a more reliable and accurate indicator compared to BMI when assessing overweight or obesity [29][30][31]. Furthermore, attention should also be focused on the visceral fat area (VFA; cm 2 ), which appears to be a valuable parameter for diagnosing multifactorial diseases and assessing associated health risks [24,27,32]. For most of the population, obesity results from a complex interplay of an individual's genetic predisposition and various biological, behavioral, psychosocial, socioeconomic, and environmental factors (including chronic stress) [33].…”