Abstract
The purpose of this study was to identify new indexes of body composition that characterize the normal weight obese (NWO) women. We measured body composition by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and resting metabolic rate (RMR) by indirect calorimetry in a cohort of seventy-five healthy Italian women, subdivided into three groups (nonobese/controls, NWO, preobese-obese women). Despite a normal body mass index (BMI), the NWO women have a higher body fat mass percentage (FAT %) (38.99 ± 6.03) associated to a significant (p = 0.02) lower amount of lean mass of legs (12.24 ± 1.31) and lean mass of left leg (6.07 ± 0.64) with respect to the control group. The NWO group showed a significant (p = 0.043) lower RMR (1201.25 ± 349.02) in comparison with nonobese and preobese-obese women. To classify NWO individuals among general population, we identified three significant body composition indexes: abdominal index, leg index and trunk index. The NWO women showed significant increased value in the three indexes (p < 0.001). Our results suggest that, despite a normal BMI, the NWO women displayed a cluster of anthropometric characteristics (body fat mass percentage, leg indexes) not different to obese women ones. An appropriate diet-therapy and physical activity may be protecting NWO individuals from diabetes and cardiovascular diseases associated to preobese-obese women.
Lingua originale | English |
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pagine (da-a) | 191-196 |
Numero di pagine | 6 |
Rivista | European Review for Medical and Pharmacological Sciences |
Volume | 10 |
Stato di pubblicazione | Pubblicato - 2006 |
Keywords
- Body mass index
- Fat mass
- NWO
- Metabolic diseases
- Lean mass